We are now nearing the 20 year mark in our quest for healthcare interoperability. Under an executive order from president G W Bush (April 2004), the ONC was established and Dr. David Brailer was dubbed “America’s first Health Information Czar.” The Meaningful Use program was then born out of the HITECH Act and Merit-Based Incentive Payment System was then born our of the MACRA legislation. And then information sharing from the CURES Act. And now the release of Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement (TEFCA). All trying to move our healthcare system to the digital age, better outcomes, controlling and reducing costs, and patient access to their health data. It has not been an easy road and the debate of the journey will never end.
Industry and Contract News
MRO Launches New Capability to Ensure Quality Patient Care Across the Healthcare Continuum
MRO Corp. (MRO), a clinical data exchange company in healthcare, announces an extension of automated retrieval services by leveraging technology to improve patient care across the healthcare continuum. MRO is now automating data exchange between providers for continuity of care (COC) purposes. The automated retrieval of patient medical records allows for a more seamless exchange, quicker turnaround times, and improved patient care and satisfaction.
EHRA Releases Social Determinants Capture Recommendations
The EHR Association’s Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity Task Force recently published “Recommendations for Determinant Capture” analyzing the lack of consensus around which SDOH domains should be assessed by healthcare providers and a standardized approach to capturing the necessary information.
Spotlight on Community Networks
The Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) and the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC) announced a formal affiliation between the two organizations to form a new organization named Civitas Networks for Health. The organization serves as a platform for local nonprofit health collaboratives and health information exchanges to grow and thrive. Read their latest news. Follow them @civitas4health.
Attend this webinar!
Civitas Networks for Health
When: Thursday, May 23, 2024 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET
Register for this event.
LinkedIn: Civitas Networks for Health
Collaboratives in Action: Building on Existing Infrastructure to Further Health Related Social Needs Screening – Learn how states are leveraging critical HIE infrastructure to support screening for health-related social needs and assisting Medicaid partners with having access to more robust data to inform whole-person care. Featuring Civitas members MyHealth Access Network in Oklahoma and North Carolina Health Information Exchange Authority.
Civitas Networks for Health to Host 2024 Annual Conference in Detroit This October
Civitas Networks for Health announced its 2024 Annual Conference, slated for Tuesday, October 15 through Thursday, October 17, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan. Under the theme ‘Bridging Data and Doing’, this year’s gathering is not only poised to unite Civitas’ 170+ member organizations, but also bring health transformation and health data professionals from across the country together, fostering a collaborative environment to explore the vital synergy of increased data sharing to drive meaningful action.
State HIE News
Contexture and Quality Health Network Announce Affiliation
Contexture and Quality Health Network (QHN) are
excited to announce their affiliation to unify health information exchange (HIE) in Colorado. This affiliation will result in the integration of staff, technology and operations as part of Contexture, enabling the combined organization to bring extensive expertise to communities across Colorado and Arizona.
Hixny and Healthix Partner to Offer New Yorkers an Aggregate View of Their Healthcare Data
Hixny and Healthix, two leading public health
information exchanges (HIEs) in New York, strengthened its collaborative relationship by jointly launching a combined patient portal at myhealthrecordNY.com. Available to patients receiving care across much of New York—including Long Island and New York City, the North Country, the Hudson Valley, the Capital Region and parts of the Southern Tier—the platform offers access to healthcare records from across New York state, all in one place.
Hires and Openings
eHealth Exchange
Active in all 50 states, the eHealth Exchange is the largest query-based, health information network in the country. It is the principal network that connects federal agencies and non-federal organizations, allowing them to work together to improve patient care and public health. They have an open position for:
- eHealth Exchange In-house Legal Counsel
Reports to: President
FLSA Status: Exempt, Full Time
Supervisory Responsibility: N/A
Contexture
Contexture is a nonprofit organization that provides strategic, technical and administrative support to communities committed to advancing health through information sharing. As the leading health information exchange for Arizona and Colorado, Contexture is the largest health information organization in the western region. They currently have an opening for a Chief Legal Officer & Privacy Officer.
Health Gorilla
Health Gorilla aspires to cut through the noise and disrupt the healthcare information technology space – making interoperability possible and ensuring access for developers, providers, and patients. Join them in their quest to improve patient and physician satisfaction, care delivery, clinical and operational outcomes, and health equity. View all their current job openings.
New York eHealth Collaborative
New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) is a not-for-profit organization working in partnership with the New York State Department of Health to improve healthcare by collaboratively leading, connecting, and integrating health information exchange across the State. They are currently seeking the following positions:
Upcoming Events
RCE Monthly Informational Call
When: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
Register for this event.
The Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) hosts a public informational call as an opportunity to share information about the progress to-date on the third Tuesday of each month. View previous calls.
KONZA National Network
When: Friday, June 7, 2024 1:00 – 2:00pm ET
Register for this event.
TEFCA HIE Office Hours with KONZA – Join them for TEFCA HIE Office Hours, a monthly opportunity for you to join a live webinar where they will provide support and answer all your TEFCA and QHIN-related questions. Onboarding HIEs to TEFCA has its unique challenges, spanning technical, policy and contract considerations, and they are here to support you through the process. Each session will focus on a different QHIN topic relevant to HIEs with half the time reserved for Q&A. Topic for January 26, 2024: QHIN to HIE Contracts
2024 DirectTrust Annual Conference
When: September 22-25, 2024
Where: St. Louis Hilton at the Ballpark, St. Louis, Missouri
Event Page
Registration now open.
Hashtag: #DirectTrust2024
DirectTrust is proud to announce their 2024 Conference, themed “The Future of Trust in Health.” Set against the backdrop of St. Louis, Missouri, from September 22-25th, this event is dedicated to exploring and constructively bridging the tensions between usability, privacy, security, identity, and collaboration within the interconnected health ecosystem.
ONC's Cures Act Final Rule
In May of 2020 the 21st Century Cures Act: Interoperability, Information Blocking, and the ONC Health IT Certification Program released by the ONC and published in the Federal Register.
The TEFCA Players
ONC Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE)
The Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) – The Sequoia Project (@sequoiaproject)is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining the Common Agreement component of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). The Common Agreement is the baseline technical and legal requirements for health information networks to share electronic health information and is part of the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act).
In addition they will collaborate with ONC to designate and monitor Qualified Health Information Networks (QHIN), modify and update an accompanying QHIN Technical Framework, engage with stakeholders through virtual public listening sessions, adjudicate noncompliance with the Common Agreement, and propose sustainability strategies to support TEFCA beyond the cooperative agreement’s period of performance.
On August 28, 2023, the ONC awarded The Sequoia Project 5-Year TEFCA RCE Contract to continue their services.
RCE Resource Library – which includes a guide to the Common Agreement, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), technical documents, and other resources that make up TEFCA’s rules of the road. Start your journey to next generation interoperability here.
Designated QHINs as of February 2024
Interoperability Market
According to Allied Market Research, the healthcare interoperability solutions market size was valued at $5,320.0 million in 2020, and is expected to reach $21,544.6 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 14.9% from 2021 to 2030. Interoperability in healthcare refers to timely and secure access, integration and use of electronic health data so that it can be used to optimize health outcomes for individuals and populations. As populations around the world age and people live longer, interoperability and data sharing are going to become increasingly critical for delivering effective healthcare. Interoperability is the ability of two or more systems to exchange health information and use the information once it is received.
According to the report published by Fior Markets, the global healthcare data interoperability market is expected to grow from USD 2.83 billion in 2020 and to reach USD 5.80 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 9.38% during the forecast period 2021-2028. The primary reasons driving healthcare interoperability market growth include a growing focus on patient care, a growing need to tighten healthcare costs, and government measures to improve patient experience of treatment. System interoperability, information interchange, and data availability are all important factors in improving health outcomes. Individual health data is mobilized throughout the whole range of care providers in health organizations, enabling coordinated, safe, and high-quality treatment that supports payment reforms, transparency efforts, and individuals’ ability to control their health.