The CMS considers patient engagement a quality metric for a learning healthcare system.

1. messaging between patients and providers. This policy aimed to empower patients by giving them greater access to their medical records, lab results, medication lists, and discharge summaries, fostering a more active role in their healthcare decisions and management. The policy incentivized the adoption of these technologies and functionalities, leading to a wider availability and use of patient portals.

2. Promoting Interoperability and Patient Access APIs: Subsequent policies focused on interoperability and aimed to make patient data more accessible through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). These policies encouraged the development and implementation of secure APIs that would allow patients to access their health information using third-party applications of their choice. This move goes beyond basic portal access, enabling a more seamless and integrated experience where patients can consolidate their health data and utilize various tools for health management, tracking, and sharing with their care teams. The emphasis on open APIs supports greater transparency and patient control over their health information.

3. Telehealth Expansion and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Policies: While not solely focused on access to records, the expansion of telehealth services and policies supporting Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) have significantly enhanced patient engagement. These policies, particularly accelerated during the COVID-19 public health emergency, allowed for increased interaction between patients and providers through virtual visits, remote monitoring of vital signs, and electronic communication. This increased accessibility and convenience can lead to greater patient involvement in their care, improved adherence to treatment plans, and better management of chronic conditions, especially for high-need, high-cost populations. Policies that facilitate the secure and effective use of these technologies directly support a more engaged patient in their healthcare journey from the comfort of their homes.

These examples illustrate how policy changes in the realm of health information technology have been instrumental in driving patient engagement by providing greater access to information, fostering communication, and enabling more convenient and remote interactions with the healthcare system.

Based on the content regarding policy changes in the United States and the strategic plan needed to improve care and drive down costs through health information technology (as discussed in chapter 5), here are at least three examples of information technology policy changes that have supported patient engagement:

1. Meaningful Use Stage 2 Requirements for Patient Portals: A significant policy change that directly supported patient engagement was the mandate in Stage 2 of the Meaningful Use (MU) program for Electronic Health Records (EHRs). This stage required healthcare providers to offer patients the ability to view, download, and transmit (VDT) their health information electronically through patient portals. Furthermore, it emphasized secure