Top News
FDA Updates Cybersecurity Playbook; Announces Action Plan for Cybersecurity Modernization
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) collaborated with MITRE to update the Medical Device Cybersecurity Regional Incident Preparedness and Response Playbook, a resource to help health care delivery organizations prepare for cybersecurity incidents. The playbook focuses on preparedness and response for medical device cybersecurity issues that impact the functionality of a medical device. View this resource.
Relatedly, the FDA recently announced a Cybersecurity Modernization Action Plan to outline measures the Agency will take to modernize security and cyber defenses. Click here for details on the new action plan.
Administration
OIG Identifies Data and Technology Challenges for HHS
The 2022 Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing HHS is an annual publication of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG). OIG has identified six top management and performance challenges that the Department faces as it strives to fulfill its mission to enhance the health and well-being of the public. Of note, harnessing and protecting data and technology is identified as a weakness for HHS, in areas of cybersecurity and large-scale information sharing from disparate sources. For more information, see: 5: Harnessing and Protecting Data and Technology To Improve the Health and Well-Being of Individuals.
Healthy People 2020 and Eliminating Health Disparities
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released a report titled “Examining Progress Toward Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities for Healthy People 2020 Objectives Using Three Measures of Overall Disparity.” This report provides the first-ever assessment of health disparities by race and ethnicity across all Healthy People 2020 objectives using multiple measures of health disparities. View the report.
RFI on National Provider Directory
As part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) ongoing work to improve access to care, reduce clinician burden, and support interoperability, CMS released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on the concept of CMS creating a directory with information on health care providers and services or a “National Directory of Healthcare Providers and Services” (NDH). CMS believes this could improve interoperability, patient choice, care coordination, and reduce provider and payer administrative burden. Comments are due December 6.
National Institutes of Health Data Management and Sharing Policy Webinar
Join us December 6, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET for this informative webinar. The new NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy, which goes into effect on January 25, 2023, will promote the sharing of scientific data from NIH-funded research. During this webinar the speakers will discuss the value of data sharing for the research enterprise, provide an overview of the DMS Policy and implementation activities, and discuss the importance of informatics in enabling rigorous data collection and capture, management, and sharing. Register now.
Legislation and Politics
Members of Congress have returned to Washington after the November 8 midterm elections. Pending business includes federal government appropriations and possible health related legislation. A new Congress (the 118th Congress) will convene in January 2023.AMIA will closely monitor impending Committee leadership changes on key committees with jurisdiction over issues of concern to AMIA. We will report on these changes in future editions of the Washington Download.
Around the Web
- For Congress, health privacy is top of mind; POLITICO
- FDA Commissioner Robert Califf calls on cardiology to address health inequities and combat misinformation; Cardiovascular Business
- Unintended consequences of patient online access to health records: a qualitative study in UK primary care; AHRQ PSNet
AMIA's Washington Download is your source for health informatics policy news and information from around the Beltway, covering action from the Hill, the Administration and important AMIA collaborators.