On January 19, 2022, the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) Workplace of the Nationwide Coordinator for Well being Data Know-how (ONC) revealed the Trusted Trade Framework and Frequent Settlement (TEFCA) for well being info alternate. The Trusted Trade Framework established a set of non-binding, foundational rules for belief insurance policies and practices to assist facilitate alternate amongst well being info networks (HINs). The Frequent Settlement below TEFCA developed the infrastructure mannequin and governing strategy for customers in several networks to securely share primary medical info with one another—all below generally agreed-to expectations and guidelines, no matter which community they occur to be in. TEFCA’s principal objective is to encourage interoperability throughout the nation by creating uniform insurance policies and technical necessities to control knowledge sharing and to make sure that all individuals can entry real-time well being info. For a extra detailed breakdown of the construction and performance of TEFCA see Crowell’s earlier publish.
The event of TEFCA was mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act. In 2019, the ONC issued a Discover of Funding Alternative and in the end appointed The Sequoia Undertaking, Inc. to function the Acknowledged Coordinating Entity (RCE). A couple of yr after the long-awaited TEFCA publication, ONC held an occasion on February 13th, 2023 to acknowledge the primary set of applicant organizations that have been authorised as certified well being info networks (QHINs). The authorised HINs include CommonWell Well being Alliance, eHealth Trade, Epic TEFCA Interoperability Providers, Well being Gorilla, Kno2, and KONZA Nationwide Community. These six potential QHINs agreed to the identical knowledge sharing infrastructure, which permits them to connect with each other and allows their individuals, together with supplies, payers, and public well being businesses, to alternate well being info nationwide. This primary cohort of potential QHINs will bear onboarding over the course of the yr. The ONC plans to announce extra QHINs as they’re authorised by the RCE.
Since TEFCA participation is voluntary, the extent of its influence is proscribed by the variety of entities that apply for QHIN designation. With widespread community participation, TEFCA is meant to:
- permit networks to securely share and entry knowledge
- make a core set of information accessible for networks below the Frequent Settlement
- curtail the necessity for entities to affix a number of HINs and agreements which is able to lower prices and enhance effectivity
- create a typical set of privateness and safety necessities for HINs and IT builders to guard affected person knowledge
Crowell Well being Options (CHS) not too long ago hosted “Trade Views on the Trusted Trade Framework and Frequent Settlement,” a podcast analyzing the development of knowledge alternate governance in our healthcare panorama, the importance and potential influence of TEFCA, the participation of HINs in TEFCA, and the evolution of information sharing and interoperability within the subsequent 10 years. Whereas TEFCA remains to be within the early phases, CHS appears ahead to monitoring the development of the framework and its influence on well being info alternate.
To study extra about TEFCA, latest actions and future implications hearken to Trade Views on the Trusted Trade Framework and Frequent Settlement right here.
