CLIA law poses barrier to lab results in EHRs

According to the American Clinical Laboratory Assn, lab results influence more than 70% of clinical decisions. Putting those results in electronic health records (EHRs) will clearly enrich the data available for physicians, hospitals, health plans and patients. This enriched data enhances the value of EHRs for treatment, quality improvement, disease management and wellness. But the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and the state laws implementing CLIA pose barriers to clinical labs providing that data for EHRs. It remains unclear what happens next for CLIA -- whether other states will follow Tennessee's lead or whether the Department of Health and Human Services will revisit CLIA and its implications for putting lab results in EHRs.