Government & Policy

In the fourth episode of the HIMSS APAC Digital Dialogue Series hosted by Dr Charles Alessi, HIMSS Chief Clinical Officer, guest speakers Professor Dr Tunku Kamarul Zaman bin Tunku Zainol Abidin, Director, University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) and Dr Fazilah Shaik Allaudin, Senior Deputy Director, Medical Development Division, Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia spoke their respective organizations’ approach to containing the outbreak and discussed COVID-19’s impact on telehealth in Malaysia.

The Exposure Notification Privacy Act requires public health officials to be involved with any exposure notification systems and prohibits commercial use of users' data.

The group tells CMS and Congress that two-dozen "cumbersome" regulations, many related to telehealth, that were waived or relaxed in response to COVID-19 should stay that way.

The guidance standardizes reporting with the intent of providing public health officials access to real-time data as they coordinate their response.

HHS is providing an additional $250 million, while giving hospitals until the end of the day to submit their revenue information.

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Illinois, said she introduced the legislation in hopes of gathering data to support post-pandemic continuation of relaxed CMS rules around telemedicine.

With dozens of healthcare facilities across the UAE, the country’s healthcare system is evolving faster than elsewhere in the world, says Christian Schuhmacher, CEO of King’s College Hospital London in Dubai.

  Although telemedicine can be a way to fill gaps in access to healthcare providers, policymakers should ensure vulnerable people aren't left behind, says a new UCLA report.  

The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, designed to ensure an individual's electronic health information is available when they need it, depends on participation from stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem.

Also, an update on testing in the UAE in this week's Healthcare IT News roundup.