Health Information Exchange (HIE) is happening every minute of every day. Your personal health information is moving and being viewed to improve the quality of your healthcare and lower the costs. The job will not be complete until all health records are digital and interoperable. Here’s what’s happening to make that reality.
Secure API Server Showdown Winner Announced
The Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (@ONC_HealthIT) announced the Stage 2 winner of the “Secure API Server Showdown” Challenge. Application programming interfaces (APIs) are technology that allow one software program to access the services provided by another software program. The 21st Century Cures Act calls for the development of APIs that do not require “special effort” for developers to access and exchange health information.
EHNAC Announces Development of New Trusted Exchange Accreditation Program
EHNAC (@EHNAC) announced a collaboration with WEDI, SAFE-BioPharma Association, LLC, eHI, and eP3 Foundation to establish a new Trusted Exchange Accreditation Program (TEAP). This accreditation program will leverage existing industry-wide identity verification, authentication, and privacy/security frameworks and best practices in use across the ecosystem and align with many national efforts including the ONC’s efforts to endorse the 21st Century Cures Act and other federal requirements including TEFCA, which was created to improve data exchange and enable interoperability across different health information networks (HINs).
Save the Date – ONC’s 2nd Interoperability Forum
Join the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (@ONC_HealthIT) for a three-day Interoperability Forum August 6-8, 2018 where stakeholders from government and industry will: Learn about recent efforts to advance interoperability nationwide and identify concrete actions that can be taken to respond to today’s interoperability challenges. The Forum will feature a mix of keynote speakers, demos, and opportunities to share and learn best practices. Stay tuned for registration information and additional details.
Surescripts National Progress Report
Last year marked another chapter of growth and change in the story of the Surescripts Network Alliance (@Surescripts). Together, they expanded the strength and number of their connections and continued to lead the industry in driving changes that improve patient safety, lower costs and ensure quality care. Highlights include:
- 1.47 million connected healthcare professionals 13% increase since 2016
- 233 million patients in our master patient index representing 71% of the U.S. population
- 1.74 billion E-Prescriptions
- 3.1 million Real-Time Prescription Benefit transactions
- 1.46 billion Medication Histories
- 25.9 million Clinical Direct Messages
DirectTrust Health Data Exchange Transactions Up 90% in One Year
DirectTrust (@DirectTrustorg) recently reported that the first quarter of 2018 has seen health data exchange transactions hit 47.8 million, which is an increase of approximately 90 percent over the same time frame in 2017. Healthcare organizations served by DirectTrust health information service providers (HISPs) and engaging in Direct exchange also increased 19 percent, reaching more than 112,000 total.
Hear David Harlow at HIMSS talking to Gerard Scheitlin, Chief Risk Officer, VP Security, Risk & Assurance, Orion Health discussing interoperability and the ONC TEFCA.
News from the ONC
Now Available: 2018 Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA) Reference Edition – The Interoperability Standards Advisory (ISA), an interactive catalog of standards and implementation specifications supporting interoperability in healthcare, has been updated following the public review and comment period that ended on November 20, 2017. The 2018 ISA Reference Edition incorporates many of the comments received, and is intended to provide a “snapshot in time” view of the ISA for the new year. Additional changes and functionality improvements are planned for 2018, so be sure to visit the ISA throughout the year.
Spotlighting Interoperability Proving Ground Programs
The Interoperability Proving Ground (IPG) Spotlight project of the week is: EMS Connectivity. Through their platform, Kno2 seeks to drive interoperability between the hospital and EMS agencies throughout the patient’s transport and hospital stay – impacting the quality of care, patient safety and outcomes reporting.
Share your interoperability project by submitting a new project at the IPG or update the status of a project that had been posted within the last 90 days. Once a project is submitted or updated, it will be added to the queue to be randomly selected as a featured project. Learn more about the IPG Spotlight.
News from the Sequoia Project
The Sequoia Project (@SequoiaProject) was chartered to advance the implementation of secure, interoperable nationwide health information exchange. The ONC transitioned management of its eHealth Exchange to The Sequoia Project for maintenance. Since 2012, the Exchange has grown to become the largest health information exchange network in the country.
News from the CommonWell
CommonWell Health Alliance (@CommonWell) is devoted to the simple vision that health data should be available to individuals and providers regardless of where care occurs. Additionally, provider access to this data must be built-in health IT at a reasonable cost for use by a broad range of health care providers and the people they serve.
2018 Spring Technology Retreat: Building our Future Together
Each year, several members of the CommonWell Health Alliance (@CommonWell) technology-oriented committees [Use Case, Standards Technology and Integration Group (STIG), Deployment and Utilization, and Privacy and Security] take part in our Spring Technology Retreat. This year, more than 50 of us came together at MEDITECH in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to share knowledge, learn from one another and collaborate in a meaningful way to advance interoperability as an Alliance. Read more.
Blog series on FHIR
- Ready, Aim, FHIR! How CommonWell is using FHIR
- We Didn’t Start the FHIR…
- CommonWell FHIR-ing out API requests to MEDITECH
News from the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative
SHIEC (@SHIEClive) is the National Trade Association for Health Information Exchange Organizations. It is routine for important data about patients’ ongoing care to reside in multiple unconnected organizations. SHIEC member HIEs use information technology and trusted relationships in their service areas to enable secure, authorized exchange of patient information among disparate providers. By providing enhanced access to all available and relevant patient data SHIEC HIE members aim to improve the quality, coordination, and cost-effectiveness of health care provided in their communities. Read their news feed.
- SHIEC & Diameter Health Form New Technlogoy Best Practices Standardization Alliance
- Alabama One Health Record Joins The Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative
- SHIEC’s Strategic Business & Technology Partner Grows 640% in One Year
ONC Interoperability Pledge
Companies that provide 90 percent of electronic health records used by hospitals nationwide as well as the top five largest health care systems in the country have agreed to implement three core commitments: Consumer Access, No Blocking/Ensuring Transparency, and Standards. The ONC (@ONC_HealthIT) wants vendors to sign a pledge. Is your vendor pledging? Find out who is on the list.
eHealth Initiative Resource Center
Interoperability Files – Check out the new white paper resource in the eHealth Initiative’s (@eHealthDC) Resource Center: Patient Matching Considerations for Interoperability