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# Abernathy Describes FDA IT Efforts
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/abernathy-describes-fda-it-efforts/
- Published: 2019-08-23T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T01:45:53.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5144846

FDA principal deputy commissioner **Amy Abernathy** says the agency “supports the smart, secure, and safe interaction among different medical devices and information systems, and has been collaborating with hospitals, healthcare providers, standards development organizations, and other interested parties to promote medical device interoperability.” Speaking 8/22 at the National Coordinator for Health IT Third Interoperability Forum, she said the exchange and use of information looms large over her work as both principal deputy commissioner and acting chief information officer.

While working in the private sector, she said, she learned about the importance of FDA because regulations set the guideposts within which industry works. “By clarifying what to do, and what not to do, regulations kept us from getting distracted and focused our energy on that which would be most impactful,” she said. “What I learned was that FDA both set the direction and clarified how to get there, particularly for development of medical products like drugs and devices, including technology-based solutions like software as a medical device.”

She said that as principal deputy commissioner, she is focused on **(1)** getting the agency’s own technical house in order, **(2)** using examples and cases that show what it looks like when tech and interoperable data are put into play; and **(3)** updating how FDA interfaces with the technology community in a meaningful way.

She also discussed agency efforts to use technology with a modernized review infrastructure. She “teased” attendees with the news that in the next month or two FDA will roll out a plan to modernize its approach to using technology for its regulatory mission, including review of medical product applications. She said this will include modernization of FDA infrastructure to make sure it can support emerging uses of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and other technologies.