The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has submitted its comments on the Governance of the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN), which was published on Federal Register by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on May 15, 2012. 

“As the most experienced organization in the U.S. with respect to evaluating health specific information technologies, we appreciate the historical perspective of the nationwide health information exchange outlined in the RFI (Part I C.3) with respect to the various mechanisms for both exchange and governance that have evolved over the past 10 or more years and the clarity of context that this RFI presents,” Karen M. Bell, M.D., chair of the CCHIT, said in a statement.

Among CCHIT’s comments on the proposed governance of the NwHIN is the notion that a an independent public/private governance body, “may be a more effective approach in establishing trust, gaining wide adoption, and allowing for more comprehensive multi-stakeholder representation.”

“Such a public-private governing entity can establish the rules of engagement in a dynamic environment outside of the cumbersome regulatory process. It would also engage the consumer, as well as all other prospective users, in a fair and equitable fashion to establish policies, priorities and processes for the secure, reliable exchange of various types of health information,” the organization said.

The group recommended ONC support the development of an independent public/private governance entity which would be consistent with the direction of the HITECH and with its desire to promote innovation and to support an evolving environment.