On January 19, 2022, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) for Health Information Exchange. Trusted Exchange framework Established a set of non-binding ground rules for trust policies and practices to facilitate exchanges between Health Information Networks (HINs). common agreement Under TEFCA, we have developed an infrastructure model and management approach for the secure sharing of basic clinical information by users of various networks. This all happens under commonly agreed expectations and rules, regardless of which network a user happens to belong to.TEFCA’s primary goal is to regulate data sharing and ensure that all participants are Nationwide interoperability by developing uniform policies and technical requirements to enable access to real-time health information. For a detailed breakdown of TEFCA structure and function, see Crowell’s previous post.
The development of TEFCA twenty onest century cure actIn 2019, ONC issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity, ultimately appointing Sequoia Projects as its Accredited Coordinating Entity (RCE). About a year after the long-awaited publication of TEFCA, ONC held an event February 13thth, honoring the first series of applicant organizations to be approved as a Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) in 2023. Approved HINs consist of CommonWell Health Alliance, eHealth Exchange, Epic TEFCA Interoperability Services, Health Gorilla, Kno2, and KONZA National Network. These six potential QHINs agreed on the same data sharing infrastructure. This will allow participants, including providers, payers and public health agencies, to connect with each other and exchange health information across the country. This initial cohort of potential QHINs will undergo onboarding throughout the year. ONC will announce additional QHINs approved by the RCE.
Since participation in TEFCA is voluntary, its impact Limited by the number of entities applying for QHIN designation. With its extensive network participation, TEFCA aims to:
- Allow networks to share and access data securely
- Create a core set of data available to the network under a common agreement.
- Reduces the need for entities to participate in multiple HINs and contracts, reducing costs and improving efficiency
- Create a common set of privacy and security requirements for HIN and IT developers to protect patient data
Crowell Health Solutions (CHS) recently hosted an “Industry View on the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement”. This podcast discusses advances in information exchange governance in the healthcare environment, the importance and potential impact of TEFCA, his HIN participation in TEFCA, and the evolution of data sharing and interoperability over the next decade. While TEFCA is still in its early stages, CHS looks forward to tracking the framework’s progress and its impact on health information exchange.
To learn more about TEFCA, recent activity, and future implications, listen to Industry Views on Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement. here.
