Epic, Oracle Adopt USCDI+ Cancer Standard for Interoperability

Several EHR vendors, including Epic and Oracle, have agreed to adopt United States Core Data for Interoperability Plus Cancer (USCDI+ Cancer), a recommended minimum set of cancer-related data elements to enhance health data interoperability.

The data standard aims to allow healthcare providers to share information seamlessly and improve cancer outcomes nationwide, especially in rural and underserved areas. Standardizing cancer data across EHR platforms is also expected to drive faster research results and more successful public health interventions.

The USCDI+ Cancer standard comes as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Cancer Moonshot, a White House initiative to bring renewed leadership to the fight against cancer.

The standard will also support a new cancer care model developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) aims to lower costs, support patient-centered care, and improve outcomes for individuals facing cancer.

In coordination with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and CMS, the Biden Cancer Moonshot worked with EHR vendors who have voluntarily committed to adopt and advance a set of cancer data elements for the EOM.

The data elements, which cover information about a person’s disease status, treatment history, and test results, are available within the USCDI+ Cancer standard.

“These commitments are not to us, but to the people who rely on these electronic health record systems, including providers and patients,” Danielle Carnival, PhD, deputy assistant to the president for the Cancer Moonshot, said in a press release.

“We commend this voluntary action from leaders in the electronic health record developer community, as it will help clinicians provide better treatment for people living with cancer,” Carnival added.

The following EHR vendors made commitments to adopt the core EOM data elements and support USCDI+ Cancer:

• Epic
• Oracle
• Ontada, a McKesson business
• Meditech
• Flatiron
• ThymeCare

CVS Health and athenahealth are working to promote these goals in their work as well.