🏥 Federal Push for Imaging Interoperability
You can access lab results and care notes through standardized APIs. Your brain MRI? In 2026, it is often still burned to a CD. 💿
The ASTP/ONC is moving to close this gap, signaling a shift toward the same interoperability standards that currently govern EHR data.
🔍 Key Developments
ASTP/ONC RFI: Federal officials are seeking public input on adopting diagnostic imaging certification criteria.
USCDI v7 Draft: Proposes a “Diagnostic Imaging Reference” to standardize data elements.
Industry Feedback: SMART Health IT recommends DICOMweb and FHIR; the AHA supports the move but urges “reasonable glidepaths” for resource-limited hospitals.
💡 Strategic Impact
AI Integration: Standardized APIs could reduce AI vendor dependence on bilateral PACS agreements. However, HIPAA Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) remain a primary legal hurdle.
Infrastructure: Health systems may require significant IT investments to upgrade PACS/VNA systems to support new standards.
Market Signal: Diagnostic imaging is finally entering the standards-based trajectory established by the 21st Century Cures Act.
❓If imaging interoperability becomes mandatory, which vendors will be ready—and which will be scrambling? Health systems should begin auditing their PACS vendors’ interoperability roadmaps immediately. 🚀
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