ONC

ONC, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It was established in 2004 under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to coordinate nationwide adoption and exchange of health information technology. Its mission is to enable secure, interoperable health information technology to improve patient care, public health, and innovation.

Key functions include developing the federal health IT strategy, promoting interoperability through standards and certification, and supporting privacy and security practices. ONC maintains the Interoperability Standards Advisory, a catalog of standards and specifications for health information exchange, and collaborates with standards organizations such as HL7, LOINC, and SNOMED CT.

It administers the ONC Health IT Certification Program, certifying health IT products such as electronic health records to meet interoperability criteria. The program involves accredited bodies that test and certify compliance with edition and criterion requirements.

On the policy side, ONC coordinates with other federal agencies and stakeholders to advance health IT adoption and ensure patient access to electronic health information while protecting privacy and security. The agency also implements provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act to promote interoperability and reduce information blocking.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., ONC serves as a principal federal entity advising the Secretary of Health and Human Services on health IT policy and coordination.