What major objective did the 21st Century Cures Act specifically target regarding health data?
Combating information blocking and promoting patient access to their own health data
The 21st Century Cures Act marked a critical turning point in the drive for national data interoperability by focusing heavily on regulatory enforcement rather than just technical guidance. This legislation was specifically designed to address non-cooperation within the healthcare ecosystem by actively aiming to combat the practice known as information blocking. Beyond restricting negative actions, the Act carried a positive mandate to significantly promote and enforce patients' rights to easily access and obtain their personal health information. This legal framework shifted the operational dynamic by making information exchange a mandatory obligation, thereby compelling systems to be open, contrasting sharply with the voluntary adoption models of previous eras.
