Healthcare organizations are moving from asking whether to use artificial intelligence to asking how AI and predictive technologies should be evaluated, documented and governed. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) established new algorithm-transparency requirements through its HTI-1 Final Rule for certain predictive algorithms and decision-support technologies incorporated into certified health IT.
The shift is particularly relevant as healthcare organizations expand their use of AI. A 2026 healthcare technology outlook from Carahsoft identifies AI transparency as an emerging priority, reflecting a broader industry focus on how AI is implemented and governed, not simply whether organizations should adopt it.
The regulatory reality is more specific. HTI-1 does not require hospitals to explain every AI tool they use. Instead, it establishes algorithm-transparency requirements within the ONC Health IT Certification Program for applicable decision-support interventions and predictive algorithms incorporated into certified health IT.
For professionals looking to build expertise at the intersection of healthcare, technology and data, the University of South Florida’s online Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) offers a CAHIIM-accredited, 100% online program focused on health data, information systems and technology.
What Changed With HTI-1?
The HTI-1 Final Rule, published in January 2024, updated the ONC Health IT Certification Program and established new requirements related to decision-support interventions and predictive algorithms. ONC describes the rule as the first federal regulatory approach to establish transparency requirements for AI and other predictive algorithms that are part of certified health IT.
The rule gives clinical users access to a baseline set of information about applicable algorithms so they can better evaluate their use. The certification requirements address information such as source attributes and technical performance and quality information associated with decision-support interventions.
For 2026, that distinction matters. HTI-1 is no longer simply a proposed change. Its requirements are now part of the evolving health IT certification landscape, with ONC continuing to update implementation guidance and compliance information.
Why Does AI Transparency Matter?
Predictive technologies can influence clinical and operational decisions, making questions about data, performance, limitations and appropriate use increasingly important.
ONC’s approach uses five characteristics to evaluate the quality of predictive algorithms: fairness, appropriateness, validity, effectiveness and safety, commonly referred to as the FAVES framework.
For healthcare organizations, that means AI adoption involves more than selecting a tool. Professionals may also need to understand how technology fits into clinical workflows, what information is available about its performance and limitations, and how its outputs should be considered in context.
What Does This Mean for Healthcare Professionals?
HTI-1 is primarily a health IT certification requirement, but it reflects a broader shift in healthcare technology. As organizations use more data-driven tools, professionals may encounter questions such as:
- What data supports a predictive model?
- How was the technology developed and evaluated?
- What limitations should users understand?
- Is the technology appropriate for its intended use?
- How does it fit into clinical workflows?
- How should technical information be communicated to clinicians and other stakeholders?
These questions sit at the intersection of healthcare, data, information technology and operations. That interdisciplinary perspective is central to health informatics.
How Can Health Informatics Help?
Health informatics focuses on the use of healthcare data and information technology to support care delivery, management and decision-making.
USF Health’s Master of Science in Health Informatics addresses the technical and operational sides of informatics. The program is 32 credits, 100% online, CAHIIM accredited and organized around eight-week sessions. USF describes health informatics as an interdisciplinary field focused on the management and use of health data and information through technology.
That foundation can be relevant to professionals working with healthcare technology and data. It can help them understand how information systems operate, how data supports healthcare decisions and how technology is integrated into healthcare environments.
The degree is not a requirement of HTI-1, but health informatics education can provide relevant preparation for professionals whose responsibilities increasingly involve healthcare data, technology and decision-making.
What Skills Are Becoming More Important?
As healthcare organizations expand their use of AI and predictive technologies, several skills can become increasingly valuable:
Understanding health data. Knowing how healthcare data is collected, managed and used provides a foundation for evaluating data-driven technologies.
Evaluating technology. Healthcare technology decisions require consideration of performance, limitations, appropriateness and workflow impact.
Understanding clinical workflows. Technology must work within the environments where clinicians and other healthcare professionals use it.
Communicating across teams. Healthcare technology can involve clinicians, IT professionals, data specialists, administrators and vendors. Professionals who can connect those groups can help support informed decisions.
USF Health’s MSHI curriculum supports several of these areas through its focus on health data, information systems and healthcare technology.
Preparing for the Next Stage of Healthcare Technology
HTI-1 reflects a broader shift in healthcare AI. The conversation is moving beyond whether organizations should adopt new technologies to how applicable technologies should be evaluated, implemented and governed.
For healthcare professionals, that creates opportunities to develop skills beyond operating technology. Understanding health data, information systems, analytics, clinical workflows and healthcare operations can help professionals participate in technology-driven decision-making.
USF Health’s online Master of Science in Health Informatics provides a structured way to build that interdisciplinary foundation through a 32-credit, CAHIIM-accredited program with 100% online coursework and eight-week sessions.
Explore USF Health’s online Master of Science in Health Informatics.
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