For many years, medical practices relied on workflows that were familiar but inefficient. Imaging studies were stored on local servers. Patients were asked to pick up CDs. Referring providers waited days or weeks for access to prior exams. Requests were handled manually, often competing with already strained administrative staff.
While these processes were common, they created persistent challenges:
As healthcare became more digital, these delays were no longer just inconvenient. They became barriers to care. The 21st Century Cures Act was designed to address this exact problem by requiring faster, more transparent electronic access to health information.
The 21st Century Cures Act, signed into law in 2016, was intended to modernize healthcare by improving patient access, interoperability, and the electronic exchange of health information.
One of its most impactful components is the Information Blocking Rule, which focuses on ensuring that electronic health information, or EHI, is shared promptly, securely, and without unnecessary obstacles.
In practical terms, if a workflow delays access to electronic records, particularly imaging and reports, it may be considered information blocking.
Under the 21st Century Cures Act, information blocking is defined as any practice that interferes with, prevents, or materially discourages the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information.
For medical practices, this can include:
The rule does not require perfection, but it does require reasonable and timely electronic access using modern digital workflows.
Understanding the Cures Act timeline helps explain why compliance matters today.
2016: The 21st Century Cures Act is signed into law.
May 2020: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT publishes the final Information Blocking Rule.
April 5, 2021: Information blocking compliance requirements go into effect with a limited scope of data known as USCDI.
October 6, 2022: The scope expands from USCDI to all electronic health information, including medical imaging and historical studies.
September 1, 2023: The HHS Office of Inspector General begins enforcement and may investigate claims of information blocking. While provider specific monetary penalties are still under development, providers are expected to demonstrate timely electronic access and may face investigation or future participation related consequences.
For the most up to date guidance, practices can reference the official Information Blocking resources available at 21 Centuries Cures Act.
To align with the intent of the 21st Century Cures Act and reduce information blocking risk, practices should focus on four foundational pillars.
Patients and referring providers should be able to access imaging and reports electronically without unnecessary delay.
Electronic access must be delivered securely and in alignment with HIPAA privacy and security requirements.
Practices should be able to demonstrate that requests were fulfilled promptly using clear and reliable audit trails.
Systems should support long term storage, rapid retrieval of historical studies, and growth without increasing operational complexity.
Modern imaging platforms play a critical role in supporting these pillars. SARC MedIQ is a cloud based imaging management, reporting, and sharing platform designed to help practices reduce workflow friction while supporting compliance focused access.
SARC MedIQ helps practices by:
By modernizing imaging infrastructure, practices can improve patient experience, strengthen care coordination, and reduce exposure to information blocking risk.
The 21st Century Cures Act reflects a long term shift toward transparency, interoperability, and patient access. Practices that continue to rely on outdated systems or manual processes may face increasing operational and regulatory pressure as enforcement evolves.
SARC MedIQ helps providers meet the requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act by enabling secure, timely electronic access to imaging and reports. Schedule a demo to learn how SARC MedIQ Cloud PACS System can help modernize your imaging workflows and support compliance ready access.
Getting passed over for a promotion can feel discouraging, Especially when you’re consistently meeting deadlines, exceeding goals, and being a team player. But as highlighted in a recent Forbes Business Council article, doing your job well isn’t always enough to move up the ladder.
SARC MedIQ’s CEO, Asaad Hakeem, was one of 20 business leaders who shared key insights in the article. His take? High-quality work alone won’t cut it if it doesn’t clearly align with business outcomes like revenue growth or ROI. Promotions often go to those who not only perform well but who understand and contribute to the broader strategic goals of the company.
This shift from task-focused execution to business-aligned thinking is especially relevant in fields like healthcare, where the impact of your work extends far beyond individual tasks. For instance, in cardiology practices, adopting smarter tools—like AI-driven Cardiology PACS systems can make teams more efficient, reduce diagnosis time, and improve patient outcomes. These are the kinds of changes that clearly support organizational growth and demonstrate leadership value.
So if you’re aiming for a promotion, ask yourself: Are you contributing to your company’s bigger picture? Can you connect your daily work to measurable business impact?
For more insights on what might be holding your advancement back and what top leaders recommend—read the full Forbes article here.