The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has launched a challenge for software developers to design an electronic health record issue reporting tool for medical professionals.
ONC said in the Easy EHR Issues Reporting Challenge posted Tuesday it needs a platform that works to enable clinicians to report EHR system usability and safety issues in a way that minimizes workflow disruption and supports applicable interoperability and technical standards.
The technology is also expected to provide feedback when a report is sent or received as well as display options for parties to report to, such as a provider’s health IT department or EHR service support team.
ONC said the initiative aims to address the technical concerns of medical practitioners with their EHR systems, which provide patient information and support the quality of healthcare.
The office believes enhancing EHRs can help health IT further meet the needs and expectations related to patient safety.
ONC will award a $45,000 prize to the grand winner of the challenge, $25,000 to the second placer and $10,000 to the third placer.
Challenge responses are due Oct. 15, and the announcement and notification of the winners will be in November.