The Trump administration has indefinitely suspended meetings of a key health technology advisory committee, according to a memo obtained by STAT. This move comes at a critical juncture for the regulation of healthcare technology, as businesses increasingly integrate artificial intelligence into their operations.
The Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) was informed early Wednesday that all meetings, including those of its working groups, were canceled until further notice. The committee operates under the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP-ONC).
The cancellation arrives as the healthcare industry rapidly adopts artificial intelligence to automate record-keeping and inform patient care decisions. While AI offers the potential to alleviate administrative burdens and reduce costs, HITAC and its rule-formulation processes are designed to safeguard patients during this period of rapid technological advancement.
