Six healthcare organizations have been selected to implement and test the TEFCA standards as the next step in becoming Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs), the latest stage in the development of a nationwide healthcare information exchange.
Federal officials have named six healthcare organizations as qualified to implement the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), the latest step in the effort to create a nationwide healthcare information exchange.
At a news conference Monday, US Health and Human Services Secretary Javier Becerra presented certificates to the CommonWell Health Alliance, eHealth Exchange, Epic TEFCA Interoperability Services, Health Gorilla, Kno2, and KONZA. Those organizations are now qualified to implement and test TEFCA standards on their way to being designated Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs).
"This is a significant step for the US health system and one that will advance interoperability at scale for patients, health care providers, hospitals, public health agencies, health insurers, and other authorized health care stakeholders," Micky Tripathi, PhD, the HHS' National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), and Mariann Yeager, CEO of the Sequoia Project, said in a blog. "Strong privacy and security protections are required of QHINs and their expanded connectivity will help improve the quality, safety, affordability, efficiency, and equitability of health care across the country. Nearly every American that uses the health care system will eventually experience the benefits."
Tripathi and Yeager, whose organization is the TEFCA Recognized Coordinating Entity, said the six networks cover most the nation's hospitals and tens of thousands of providers and process billions of healthcare transactions each year.
Federal officials unveiled the TEFCA guidelines in January 2022, fulfilling requirements of both the 21st Century Cures Act and HITECH Act that called for a clear infrastructure model and governing approach for a nationwide health information exchange. The Trusted Exchange Framework is a set of non-binding principles for health information exchange, and the Common Agreement is a legal contract that highlights those principles.
The Sequoia Project will sign the Common Agreement with each QHIN, after which the QHINs will set up the new connectivity framework, using as a guide the QHIN Technical Framework, which lays out the functional and technical requirements. At the same time, the ONC and Sequioa Project are also developing a TEFCA Health Level Seven (HL7) FHIR Roadmap to ensure interoperability.
Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation, Technology, and Pharma for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Six healthcare organizations have been qualified by the ONC and Sequoia Project to implement and test the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, a key element in the effort to develop a nationwide healthcare information exchange.
The Trusted Exchange Framework is a set of non-binding principles for health information exchange, and the Common Agreement is a legal contract that highlights those principles.
Altogether, the CommonWell Health Alliance, eHealth Exchange, Epic TEFCA Interoperability Services, Health Gorilla, Kno2, and KONZA cover most of the nation's hospitals and tens of thousands of providers and process billions oh healthcare transactions each year.