Earlier this year, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published the Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement (TEFCA).
The 21st Century Cures Act called for the development of a trusted exchange framework and a common agreement, which TECFA meets. The Trusted Exchange Framework is a set of non-binding foundational principles for health information exchange and the Common Agreement is a contract that advances those foundational principles, establishing the technical infrastructure model and governing approach for different health information networks and their users to securely share clinical information with each other under agreed-upon rules.
The Common Agreement supports several exchange purposes that are considered critical to improving health care and its implementation can benefit a wide variety of health care entities. Its flexible structure allows various stakeholders (including health information networks, ambulatory practices, hospitals, health centers, federal agencies, public health agencies, and payers) to benefit from TEFCA through improved access to health information. Individual patients will also be able to benefit from TEFCA and gain access to their health information through entities that provide individual access services.
In the coming months, entities will be able to apply for designation as Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs), which will connect to one another and enable participants to engage in health information exchange across the country.
Additionally, in January 2022, the TEFCA Health Level Seven Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource Roadmap was released, which outlines how TEFCA will promote the adoption of Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource (FHIR®)-based exchange across healthcare organizations.
Comments
“Operationalizing TEFCA within the Biden Administration’s first year was a top priority for ONC and is critical to realizing the 21st Century Cures Act’s goal of a secure, nationwide health information exchange infrastructure,” said Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. “Simplified nationwide connectivity for providers, health plans, individuals, and public health is finally within reach. We are excited to help the industry reap the benefits of TEFCA as soon as they are able.”
“The release of TEFCA today marks the beginning of the implementation phase,” said Mariann Yeager, CEO of The Sequoia Project, the TEFCA Recognized Coordinating Entity. “This is a very exciting milestone that reflects the thoughtful feedback of public and private stakeholders throughout the process. We look forward to supporting everyone as they review the Common Agreement and identify their role in this new public-private paradigm advancing health information exchange nationwide.” The Sequoia Project will be responsible for developing, updating, implementing, and maintaining the Common Agreement and the QHIN Technical Framework. The Sequoia Project will also play a role in designating, onboarding, and providing oversight of QHINs.
Webinars
The Sequoia Project has been hosting webinars to provide information about TEFCA to help interested entities learn how to participate or leverage the benefits of TEFCA. You can access recordings of prior webinars or obtain information about upcoming webinars here.