The American Medical Association (AMA) and six other organizations have asked two congressional committees to use their oversight of the 21st Century Cures Act to improve interoperability and empower patients with meaningful health information while ensuring data is safe and secure. The letter arrives as the administration is drawing up its plans to implement the law and adopt information blocking rules.

The AMA appreciates several of the administration's proposals, particularly related to electronic health record (EHR) certification, EHR application programming interfaces (APIs), and modifying EHR vendor business practices and behaviors.

There are, however, numerous complex, counterintuitive proposals that jeopardize the goals Congress outlined in the Cures Act. Concerningly, many of the administration's proposals will dramatically affect patient privacy and safety as well as as data security. The proposals also will add to physician burden and burnout.

"The administration owes it to patients, physicians, Congress and our nation to listen and act on these concerns," said Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., chair of the AMA's Board of Trustees. "We still have a chance to get these policies right. It is possible to improve access to medical information while promoting privacy and transparency."