On January 19, 2022, the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) Workplace of the Nationwide Coordinator for Well being Info Know-how (ONC) revealed the Trusted Trade Framework and Frequent Settlement (TEFCA) for well being info change. The Trusted Trade Framework established a set of non-binding, foundational rules for belief insurance policies and practices to assist facilitate change amongst well being info networks (HINs). The Frequent Settlement underneath TEFCA developed the infrastructure mannequin and governing method for customers in several networks to securely share primary scientific info with one another—all underneath generally agreed-to expectations and guidelines, no matter which community they occur to be in. TEFCA’s major objective is to encourage interoperability throughout the nation by creating uniform insurance policies and technical necessities to manage information sharing and to make sure that all members can entry real-time well being info. For a extra detailed breakdown of the construction and performance of TEFCA see Crowell’s earlier put up.
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 Mission, 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 accredited as certified well being info networks (QHINs). The accredited HINs encompass 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 information sharing infrastructure, which permits them to hook up with each other and permits their members, together with supplies, payers, and public well being companies, to change well being info nationwide. This primary cohort of potential QHINs will endure onboarding over the course of the yr. The ONC plans to announce further QHINs as they’re accredited by the RCE.
Since TEFCA participation is voluntary, the extent of its affect is proscribed by the variety of entities that apply for QHIN designation. With widespread community participation, TEFCA is meant to:
- enable networks to securely share and entry information
- make a core set of information out there for networks underneath the Frequent Settlement
- curtail the necessity for entities to affix a number of HINs and agreements which can lower prices and enhance effectivity
- create a typical set of privateness and safety necessities for HINs and IT builders to guard affected person information
Crowell Well being Options (CHS) just lately hosted “Trade Views on the Trusted Trade Framework and Frequent Settlement,” a podcast inspecting the development of knowledge change governance in our healthcare panorama, the importance and potential affect 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 affect on well being info change.
To study extra about TEFCA, latest actions and future implications take heed to Trade Views on the Trusted Trade Framework and Frequent Settlement right here.
