Podcasts about trusted exchange framework

What if I told you that in 2025, the way we access and exchange healthcare data will be fundamentally different?   For years, we've talked about interoperability—but now, we're seeing it take shape. Nearly 40% of the CommonWell network and most Q-HINs are responding to patient access requests, opening the door to a new era of seamless, secure, and patient-driven data exchange.   Paul L. Wilder, Executive Director of CommonWell Health Alliance, joins Eric to explore the future of healthcare data and the evolving landscape of healthcare interoperability. Learn about the CommonWell Marketplace, how patient access to data is improving, the increasing role of FHIR, and the critical aspects of trust and AI in healthcare. Paul provides key insights to help you and your organization position yourself for success.   This episode was recorded live at ViVE 2025 in Nashville.    About CommonWell   CommonWell is a not-for-profit interoperability advocate and Qualified Health Information Network under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which facilitates the secure exchange of patient data across more than 36,000 provider sites, representing over 238 million individuals nationwide. CommonWell has enabled the exchange of more than 7.7 billion healthcare records. Visit https://www.commonwellalliance.org/.   About Paul Paul is leading the organization as it enters a new chapter in its pursuit of empowering clinicians, practitioners and individuals with interoperability services via its robust, nationwide network. With more than two decades of experience in health IT, Paul has held various roles focusing on imaging, clinical informatics, and interoperability.   Before joining CommonWell, Paul was Vice President of Strategy & Business Development for Philips Interoperability Solutions. He also spent close to 10 years with one of the largest regional HIE networks in the world, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)—serving as its Chief Information Officer, Vice President of Product Management and Program Director for NYeC's Regional Extension Center. During his time with the NYeC, he helped nearly 10,000 primary care providers attest to Meaningful Use and solidified the state's status as one of the national leaders in health IT adoption. Each role enabled him to work and hear directly from providers and end-users of Electronic Health Records (EHRs)—which gives him an important perspective as a leader in health IT adoption and execution.   Paul received his Master of Business Administration from New York University, with a concentration in Finance and Operations. He also holds two bachelor's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania: one from the College of Arts and Sciences in Economics and the other from the School of Engineering and Applied Science in Biomedical Science. Paul lives in the New York area with his wife, two daughters and their newest family member, their dog Penny.   Bright Spots in Healthcare is produced by Bright Spots Ventures   Bright Spots Ventures brings healthcare leaders together to share working solutions or "bright spots" to common challenges. We build valuable and meaningful relationships through our Bright Spots in Healthcare podcast, webinar series, leadership councils, customized peer events, and sales and go-to-market consulting. We believe finding a bright spot and cloning it is the most effective strategy to improve healthcare in our lifetime.   Visit our website at www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com  

Interoperability efforts are ensuring patients and providers can access and use health data seamlessly. The Sequoia Project has been at the forefront of Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP/ONC)'s Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) that removes barriers to sharing health information electronically. At HIMSS in Las Vegas, The Sequoia Project CEO Mariann Yeager highlights why interoperability matters, how plain language and digital transformation can help patients understand their rights, and what it takes to break down the barriers preventing true data exchange.

New guidelines for health care privacy and consent, extending data sharing to new types of organizations, ensuring the clinical usability of data, and just lots and lots of growth—these are on the agenda of The Sequoia Project in the upcoming year. In this video, CEO Mariann Yeager concisely explains in this interview their recent achievements, how they work with the ONC and other stakeholders on TEFCA and QHINs, and some of their upcoming plans.Yeager has been CEO of The Sequoia Project since it began in 2012. It is Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy's (ASTP – Formerly ONC) recognized coordinating entity (RCE) to implement the government's Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which went live a year ago. While they have gotten a lot of attention for being the TEFCA RCE, The Sequoia Project has almost a dozen healthcare interoperability projects they are working on.Learn more about The Sequoia Project:https://sequoiaproject.org/Health IT Community:https://www.healthcareittoday.com/

In this episode of The Dish on Health IT, Tony Schueth, CEO of Point-of-Care Partners, and Kim Boyd, Regulatory Resource Center Lead, are joined by Pam Schweitzer, former Assistant Surgeon General of the United States and current Chair of the NCPDP Foundation Board of Trustees. Together, they deliver an in-depth discussion on critical topics impacting the health IT landscape, including interoperability, public health data modernization, and evolving healthcare regulations.The episode begins with introductions from Tony and Kim, highlighting Pam's extensive career in healthcare, ranging from her leadership roles in the Indian Health Service and the Veterans Affairs (VA) system to her current position as chair of the NCPDP Foundation. Pam reflects on her experience overseeing the transition from paper to electronic health records and how this complex shift required the coordination of multiple healthcare departments, including radiology and labs.Pam shares her insights into how policy changes, such as CMS 0057 and the HTI-2 proposed rule, are shaping the future of healthcare interoperability. The trio discusses how these regulations, aimed at improving data sharing between payers, providers, and public health systems, will ultimately drive real-time data exchange. They also emphasize the importance of infrastructure, standards, and innovation to support these efforts.As the discussion moves forward, Pam talks about her work on public health initiatives, particularly around pharmacy interoperability, maternal health, and the broader impacts of nutrition and food supply on community health. Kim and Pam also explore the evolving role of pharmacists in public health, especially in rural areas where they often serve as the primary healthcare providers.The conversation includes key steps for modernizing public health data systems, such as addressing the data silos between healthcare and public health systems. Pam emphasizes the need for greater collaboration and data sharing to enable a more effective public health response, especially during crises like pandemics or natural disasters.Pam, Kim, and Tony also touch on the role of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) in promoting data fluidity and expanding the integration of pharmacists and other healthcare stakeholders into the broader healthcare ecosystem.The episode wraps up with Pam expressing her optimism for the future of health IT and public health interoperability, while stressing the importance of ongoing collaboration between stakeholders, from policymakers to healthcare technology vendors. Kim adds that the evolution of pharmacy practice and regulatory changes are driving significant improvements in patient care and medication management.Listeners can tune in for a deep dive into the intersections of health IT policy, pharmacy standards, and public health modernization, with practical insights from leaders in the field. This episode is a must-listen for those interested in healthcare interoperability, the impact of CMS and ONC policies, and the future of public health and pharmacy integration.Catch the full episode on your preferred podcast platform, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Healthcare Now Radio, or watch the video version on YouTube.Other resources you may be interested in:Healthy People 2030 – Data and Information Systemshttps://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/public-health-infrastructurePublic Health Infrastructure - Healthy People 2030 | health.govhttps://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/public-health-infrastructureStrategies for Public Health Interoperability | PHDI | CDChttps://www.cdc.gov/data-interoperability/php/public-health-strategy/index.htmlMarch 27, 2024 – Draft 2024-2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Planhttps://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/page/2024-03/Draft_2024-2030_Federal_Health_IT_Strategic_%20Plan.pdf2023 – Infrastructure for Scaling and Spreading Whole Health – Health Informaticshttps://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/transforming-health-care-to-create-whole-health-strategies-to-assess-scale-and-spread-the-whole-person-approach-to-health 

In this episode of Quality Matters, host Andy Reynolds delves into the transformative impact of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) on health care data interoperability. Joined by Amol Vyas, NCQA Vice President of Interoperability, and Eric Musser, Vice President of Federal Affairs, the discussion uncovers how TEFCA is reshaping the landscape of health information exchange.Amol explains TEFCA's function as a voluntary, national network (analogous to the postal service in its role as a connector) and highlighting implications for the free flow of HEDIS data. Eric provides insight into TEFCA's bipartisan roots in the Cures Act of 2016, emphasizing TEFCA as a model of public-private partnership and standards-based improvement. Key Quote: “I think TEFCA has kind of been the underdog in health policy for a while now. Value-based care, patient safety, whole-person care, all those things are really salient topics that are brought up a lot. I think TEFCA is about to have its moment and I'm excited to see it come to greater fruition. I'm really happy to see all the progress we've made. It's going to take a full government, full industry approach to make this work for people. I think we're well on our way,”-Eric MusserTime Stamps:(00:28) Understanding TEFCA(01:42) New SOPs and Their Impact(06:36) Public Policy Perspective on TEFCA(10:00) Public-Private Partnership in TEFCA(12:10) Looking Ahead with TEFCALinks:Bulk FHIR Quality CoalitionDigital HubConnect with AmolConnect with Eric

This week, we discuss what people buy for Kubernetes, the latest cloud earnings, enterprise product management, and health records coming to apps. Plus, why I-95 is the most important U.S. interstate. 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Here's why (https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/01/epic-systems-will-support-the-governments-tefca-program-for-health-records.html) Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) (https://www.healthit.gov/topic/interoperability/policy/trusted-exchange-framework-and-common-agreement-tefca) Coté's recent talk about AI in healthcare with JT Perry (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT_cugqsocw&list=PLAdzTan_eSPRNuA52_34wh5VTBC-0Rz7U&index=3&t=1090s) Now is the time for innovation in healthcare, with JT Perry (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpac46N_5qM) Relevant to your Interests Amazon countersues Nokia for a dozen patent infringements (https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/31/amazon_nokia_lawsuit/) SentinelOne CEO On CrowdStrike Outage: ‘Not Just An Honest Mistake' (https://www.crn.com/news/security/2024/sentinelone-ceo-on-crowdstrike-outage-not-just-an-honest-mistake) Apple snubs Nvidia for AI training kit, chooses Google (https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/30/apple_google_tpu_ai/) Kyndryl records first quarterly profit as consulting strengthens (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kyndryl-records-first-quarterly-profit-202129641.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACs7hKgDdiXyr6SYV-5mMFZhYoPhsBGnJ2G-rZ-3FqosfGrA0uIFTN_oGYmhXDT_Fgf7Moo0JuigtmBl-7JknEOxFWZy_wPA3bHStvcu-g4kLCl3UMOdcKSGhJZQcxDkcUaDf0I5GcFiF0FhFUHgRVQ-Ehp-TCFbjC0nrv9rFWoG) Intel to Cut Jobs, Suspend Dividend in Cost-Saving Push (https://www.wsj.com/tech/intel-intc-q2-earnings-report-2024-6ec4ea69?st=w57g9zyvnqdg4b7) Zero regrets: Firefox power user kept 7,500 tabs open for two years (https://www.techspot.com/news/102871-zero-regrets-firefox-power-user-kept-7500-tabs.html) Nvidia reportedly delays its next AI chip due to a design flaw (https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/3/24212518/nvidia-ai-chip-delay-blackwell-b200-microsoft-amazon-google-openai-meta-artificial-intelligence) Apple's pause of its RTP campus may reflect bigger changes at work (https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/article290152224.html) Market Guide for Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (https://www.gartner.com/doc/reprints?id=1-2I6V52K2&ct=240726&st=sb) AI chip startup Groq lands $640M to challenge Nvidia (https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/05/ai-chip-startup-groq-lands-640m-to-challenge-nvidia/) AWS breaking changes and price increases (https://github.com/SummitRoute/aws_breaking_changes/?ref=thestack.technology) Killed by AWS tracker (https://github.com/SummitRoute/aws_breaking_changes/?ref=thestack.technology) Nonsense Please Like Me (https://www.theonion.com/please-like-me-1848674003) Sponsor SysAid – Next-Gen IT Service Management: (https://www.sysaid.com/lp/sysaid-copilot-l?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=software%20define) Experience the only platform with generative AI embedded in every aspect of IT management, enabling you to deliver exceptional service effortlessly and automagically. 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Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, President and CEO of Trust for America's Health, discusses the 21st edition of the Ready or Not Report; Catherine Jones, ASTHO Government Affairs Senior Analyst, tells us ASTHO's Hill Day program in late February continues to receive high marks; and an ASTHO webinar on the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement with ASTHO President Dr. Steven Stack, will take place in April. Trust for America's Health Webpage: Ready or Not 2024 – Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism ASTHO Blog Article: State and Territorial Health Officials Convene First On-site Hill Day Since COVID ASTHO Webinar: TEFCA Overview and Perspectives from the Field  

Deputy National Coordinator for Health IT Steven Posnack discusses a few updates to data sharing and interoperability rules for the health IT community, including HTI-1, HTI-2, United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) and Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). As organizations work to adopt new interoperability standards and policies, artificial intelligence is showing promise for its impact in health IT processes. Posnack highlights how ONC is starting to think about AI and associated ethical concerns.

The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) keeps releasing new rules to address the urgent need for data exchange. The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) was followed recently by the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates, Algorithm Transparency, and Information Sharing (HTI-1) Final Rule. In this video, Jill DeGraff, Senior Vice President, Regulatory at b.well Connected Health goes deeply into these new rules and explains their value as well as the demands they place on health care systems. Learn more about b.well Connected Health: https://www.icanbwell.com/ Health IT Community: https://www.healthcareittoday.com/

Hosts Pooja Babbrah and Jocelyn Keegan welcome special guest Laura McCrary, President and CEO of KONZA National Network. KONZA was recently designated as one of the first five Qualified Health Information Networks, or QHINS (Qualified Health Information Networks), to participate in the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). Laura McCrary speaks with hosts about: Why KONZA pursued QHIN status; Insight into the QHIN process; How KONZA's status as a Health Information network since 2010 forms their approach as a QHIN; KONZA's initial Membership mix, and; What's new or surprising in the TEFCA Common Agreement version two. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen/

Point-of-Care Partners (POCP) Dish on Health IT hosts, Pooja Babbrah and Jocelyn Keegan welcome special guest Laura McCrary, President and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of KONZA National Network. KONZA was recently designated as one of the first five Qualified Health Information Networks, or QHINS (Qualified Health Information Networks), to participate in the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA)Laura McCrary speaks with hosts about: Why KONZA pursued QHIN statusInsight into the QHIN processHow KONZA's status as a Health Information network since 2010 forms their approach as a QHINKONZA's initial Membership mix, and What's new or surprising in the TEFCA Common Agreement version twoBefore digging into the meat of the episode, Jocelyn Keegan introduced herself briefly as the payer practice lead at POCP, program manager of HL7 Da Vinci Project and devotee to positive change building and getting stuff done in healthcare IT. She added that her focus at POCP is on interoperability, prior authorization and the convergence of where technology, strategy, product development and standards come together.Jocelyn ended her introduction by saying that she has had the honor of seeing Laura McCrary present on several occasions and that her pragmatic approach is refreshing and that she is looking forward to hearing how KONZA will be building on their already vibrant HIE (Health Information Exchange) footprint as a QHIN. Next Laura introduced herself sharing that she has been working on interoperability strategy in Kansas and then expanding to nationwide over the last 4 decades. She started her career as a special education history teacher. Early in her career she realized that while these children were in her care, she should have some basic information about medications or conditions so she could be informed and able to ensure everyone was well cared for. Of course, nobody shared medical records with teachers and parents didn't have access to their kid's patient records either. Making sure special education teachers or at the very least the school nurse could access necessary clinical information at the point of care became a passion of hers which led to an early success in her career which was working with the University of Kansas Medical Center setting up one of the first telemedicine programs in the public-school systems. Because of this work, since the early 2000's, elementary kids in Kansas City, KS inner-city public-school systems have had access to basic health and telemedicine services. The telemedicine project helped Laura realize that technology really could bridge access gaps if we built and employed a robust technology infrastructure.When asked about KONZA's mission and reasons for becoming a QHIN, Laura shared that the name “KONZA” is named after a Kansas prairie that is one of the most beautiful prairies in the nation. The way KONZA originated in Kansas around 2010 is a bit different than how other HIEs started. Most states at that time received federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to establish health information exchanges.Kansas was different in that instead of standing up a state-sponsored exchange, they actually encouraged a private-public partnership and opened the floor for any organization who wanted to do business as a health information exchange in Kansas could so as long as they meet a set of very rigorous accreditation requirements, which included some pretty innovative ideas for that time.For example, one of the things that was required was that the health information exchange needed to share all information with patients. As early as 2012, Kansas HIEs were required to have a personal health record for patients where they could access any data that was in the health information exchange. QHINS must also do this by offering “individual access services” and KONZA has already been doing this for over a decade. In addition to sharing data with patients, Kansas also required data sharing of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) approved treatment, payment, and healthcare operations data with payers as it relates to their members.  Laura continued by sharing that today, 4 exchanges do business in Kansas, and they all work together as well as connect to other exchanges. KONZA also expanded to be able to serve patients across state lines as Kansas residents cross over into Missouri quite often to consume healthcare. Because of this history and background, Laura shared that becoming a QHIN was a natural progression and a way to support their mission to make sure all participants have access to their own or their patient's data. Pooja asked Laura about the process of becoming a QHIN. Pooja acknowledged the stringent requirements for QHINs and mentioned challenges discussed at the ONC Annual meeting in December.Laura shared KONZA's experience, saying they initially thought it would be like Kansas certification requirements. However, the application process involved demonstrating sustainability, financial viability, high trust certification for security, and proper information sharing using IHE protocols. KONZA became a candidate QHIN in February of the previous year, requiring the development of a project plan addressing technology conformance testing and demonstrating business viability.Laura emphasized the challenge of meeting high-level requirements, including safety, security, project management, and board governance. Notably, QHINs must have 51% of their Board of Directors as members, ensuring those participating in the network make decisions about the business model. KONZA reached 49% and welcomed a new member from a public health organization in January. The ongoing process involves meeting the remaining requirements to become a fully certified QHIN.Laura said the process of becoming a QHIN is a continuous work in progress. While they successfully crossed the finish line and are in production, she emphasized the need for ongoing changes to advance interoperability and data sharing. Laura highlighted the importance of QHINs working together as colleagues and federal leadership setting expectations for the national network. After four decades of working on the project, she expressed great satisfaction with the current state of progress.Pooja inquired about the impact of the diverse functional areas of the first group of QHIN designees on their operations. She expressed curiosity on behalf of Point of Care Partners, highlighting KONZA's background as a health information exchange in Kansas and seeking insights into how this background influenced KONZA's role as a QHIN.Laura responded by emphasizing the significance of diversity among QHINs as a valuable asset. She expressed excitement about the potential for innovative solutions to emerge from the diverse backgrounds of QHINs, enabling a departure from a one-size-fits-all approach. Laura expected the development of exciting and innovative solutions unique to each QHIN's diverse background.Pooja then invited Jocelyn to share her thoughts. Jocelyn expressed appreciation for Laura's insights, noting that knowing more about Laura's background made sense. She highlighted the importance of Laura's background in approaching long-term transformation. Jocelyn commended the incremental progress and permanent change advocated in the industry, aligning with Laura's pragmatic approach.Jocelyn acknowledged the mix of QHINs as fascinating and emphasized the importance of meeting people where they are. She recognized the relay race nature of the journey, with December marking the start of a new phase. Jocelyn predicted the challenge of creating compelling business cases and exploring the evolving business model for QHINs. She expressed interest in seeing the progress reports as end users transition from the HIE world to the TEFCA world.Laura emphasized the importance of KONZA serving as the QHIN for Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and growing out of the HIE space. She expressed the belief that onboarding HIEs to their QHIN is crucial for expanding access to a broader set of data, benefiting patient care. Laura highlighted the critical role HIEs play in meeting the healthcare needs of communities, states, and regions.To ease this onboarding process, KONZA actively reached out to HIEs. Laura shared her personal commitment by mentioning that she had personally spoken with every HIE in the last six months. Additionally, KONZA planned to initiate HIE office hours to engage with HIEs and discuss the onboarding process to the QHIN. Laura conveyed a strong sense of responsibility, stating that if HIEs were not successfully onboarded to QHINs, she would personally feel like they had failed. She recognized the significant value and commitment HIEs have provided to their communities and stressed the importance of building upon their established connections and capabilities.Jocelyn initiated a discussion on expanding endpoints and the role of payers in TEFCA. She acknowledged Laura's insight into the base requirement in Kansas that involved having payers at the table, filling gaps in understanding about payer participation in national programs. Jocelyn expressed interest in understanding the implications of active payer participation, especially with recent rules requiring payers to provide data to providers.Laura provided a comprehensive response, highlighting the common inclusion of payers in HIE networks and the evolving landscape outlined in TEFCA requirements. She emphasized that recent rules, including prior authorization, point towards increased payer participation in the QHIN model. Laura praised ONC's efforts and leadership, acknowledging the challenge of absorbing the vast amount of information released.Laura discussed the significance of two specific SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) dropped on Friday related to delegation of authority and healthcare operations. She encouraged stakeholders to focus on these documents, emphasizing the critical role they play in bringing clinical and claims data together. Laura outlined the historical challenge of integrating clinical and claims data, noting that TEFCA offers an opportunity to bridge this gap.Notably, Laura highlighted the requirement for payers participating in the QHIN model to provide adjudicated claims. She acknowledged that while this transformation may take time, conversations with payers indicated openness to sharing crucial data that providers might not have. Laura expressed excitement about the groundwork laid in the SOPs, anticipating an amazing transformation in healthcare. She encouraged innovative companies to explore the delegation of authority, foreseeing its profound impact on healthcare transformation.Pooja highlighted the collaboration between CMS and ONC in recent rule drops and mentioned the inclusion of FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource) in the latest regulations. Jocelyn asked for comments on this, pointing out varying levels of maturity in QHINs' FHIR programs. She emphasized the shift towards API (Application Programming Interface) and codified data over documents, aiming for automation and reducing human involvement. Jocelyn expressed interest in Laura's perspective, considering the existing collaborations and partnerships.Laura explained the importance of EHRs (Electronic Health Records) being FHIR-enabled for effective data sharing with QHINs. She clarified that while QHINs can be FHIR-enabled, the critical factor is whether EHR vendors support FHIR. Laura highlighted the necessity for EHR systems to have FHIR endpoints and publish them in the RCE (Recognized Coordinating Entity) directory for effective data retrieval. She stressed that both FHIR endpoints and resources are crucial for successful data exchange. Regarding facilitated FHIR, Laura expressed excitement about its implementation by the end of Q1. She mentioned the role of facilitated FHIR in responding to payers and highlighted the importance of the healthcare operations SOP. Laura also discussed the bulk FHIR initiative by NCQA, expressing enthusiasm for participation. She emphasized the significance of FHIR in sharing minimum necessary data, addressing the challenges posed by lengthy patient care documents. Laura underscored FHIR's role in providing relevant information to physicians and caregivers based on their specific needs.Pooja, the host, moves to the closing segment, asking cohost Jocelyn and guest Laura for final messages or calls to action. Jocelyn commends Laura on FHIR progress and highlights the importance of maturity and bulk FHIR for automation. She mentions an upcoming Da Vinci Community Roundtable discussion on the clinical data exchange FHIR guide and encourages engagement with Laura for early participation in payer use cases.Laura emphasized the profound opportunities with QHINs, including potential in public health and COVID response. Laura invites those interested in discussing the future of healthcare data and transforming patient care to reach out via LinkedIn, email, or to call her. Pooja expressed gratitude to guest, Laura McCrary for joining The Dish on Health IT and to listeners for tuning in. 

December 26, 2023: Mariann Yeager, CEO of The Sequoia Project, Aneesh Chopra, co founder and president of CareJourney, And Mark Knee, Deputy Director at ONC, delve into the intricacies of healthcare data interoperability, discussing the transformative potential and challenges of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), and its impact on healthcare data sharing across different networks. The conversation highlights the remarkable progress in EHR adoption and the ongoing efforts to bridge gaps in the U.S. healthcare system. The panel also touches on the critical role of AI in healthcare, exploring how it's reshaping data usage and patient care. As we contemplate the future of healthcare IT, one must consider: How will TEFCA's evolution influence patient data accessibility? What are the real-world implications of AI integration in healthcare data analysis? And how will these advancements redefine the landscape of health information exchange?Key Points:Clinician EfficiencyEthical Implications with AIHealthcare Data SharingTEFCA Implementation ChallengesSoothing AI Worries Subscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: Week HealthDonate: Alex's Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer, examines ASTHO's new webpage with a collection of evidence-based technical packages covering key public health concerns; J.T. Lane, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Population Health and Innovation, outlines the work being facilitated by the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement or TEFCA; and Daphne Delgado, the Program Director for the Center for Brain Health Equity at UsAgainstAlzheimer's, says 2023 has been a historic and exciting year for the Alzheimer's community. ASTHO Webpage: Evidence-Based Public Health ASTHO Blog Article: TEFCA – A Better User Experience for Exchanging Public Health Data UsAgainstAlzheimer's Webpage: Alzheimer's Disease – Get The Facts  

J.T. Lane, ASTHO Senior Vice President for Population Health and Innovation, discusses the impacts of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement; Catherine Jones, Senior Analyst for Government Affairs, looks at new congressional deadlines to meet and several spending bills that still need approval; Janet Johnson, Tribal Liason for the New Mexico Department of Health, says designated tribal liaisons have helped New Mexico improve connections with multiple populations; and Public Health Thank You Day was on Monday. ASTHO Blog Article: TEFCA – A Better User Experience for Exchanging Public Health Data New Mexico Department of Health Webpage: Office of the Tribal Liaison New Mexico Department of Health Webpage: State-Tribal Collaboration Act Agency Report ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO's Fall 2023 Capitol Hill Recap American Public Health Association Webpage: Public Health Thank You Day  

Civitas Networks for Health is a non-profit consortium that brings together a broad community of organizations interested in health data exchange. Many members are HIEs, but a number of other organizations in health care including community organizations are members as well. Civitas started only two and half years ago, but already have 165 members spread across the country. In this short video, CEO Lisa Bari describes the most interesting aspects of Civitas's recent conference. She said that people coming out of COVID-related isolation were eager to join workshops so that organizations such as HIEs, quality improvement organizations, and data collaboratives could achieve common goals.  That was on full display at the conference as each of these organizations connected and learned the unique approaches organizations we're taking across the country. Of course, we couldn't pass up the chance to hear Bari's thoughts on Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) and QHINs, the importance of both state and national efforts to improve interoperability, and how health data utilities (HDUs) are expanding and drawing in both public and private organizations. Learn more about Civitas Networks for Health: https://www.civitasforhealth.org/ Health IT Community: https://www.healthcareittoday.com/

Host Dr. Nick van Terheyden aka Dr. Nick, discusses Healthcare's Digital Dilemma: Data Sharing or Data Hoarding? with Don Rucker, MD, Chief Strategy Officer at 1upHealth. Their discussion includes emphasizing the importance of data in healthcare; true interoperability in healthcare is hindered by entrenched business models that prioritize profit over data sharing; limitations of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) in achieving genuine data interoperability; are we on the brink of achieving true interoperability?; overcoming business interests and outdated business and economic models remains a significant challenge; urgent need to transition from data hoarding to data sharing for the benefit of patient care and outcomes. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

Good morning from Pharma and Biotech Daily, the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in the Pharma and Biotech world. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has allowed Amgen's $28 billion acquisition of Horizon to proceed, with conditions. This settlement may ease concerns about regulatory hurdles for future deals in the industry. However, FDA documents suggest that Sage's depression drug, zurzuvae, may face challenges in obtaining broad approval due to concerns about side effects. On a positive note, Roche has claimed success in a study for its targeted lung cancer drug, Alecensa, with unprecedented results. This could make Alecensa the first treatment specifically available after surgery for ALK-positive lung tumors.In terms of investment, Julie Yoo from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz believes that the healthcare industry is at an inflection point and compared it to the internet era of 1999. Biotech mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity is also picking up again, with Amgen's acquisition of Horizon set to become the largest industry deal since AstraZeneca's buyout of Alexion. Drug pricing in the US is also a trending topic, with launch prices steadily rising in certain therapeutic areas like cancer.Moving on to policy news, the Biden administration has proposed new nursing home staffing minimums to improve the quality of care in these facilities. Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer is stepping down and will be replaced by an executive with "deep healthcare experience." Amir Dan Rubin, CEO of One Medical, is also resigning from his position. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has chosen the Sequoia Project to oversee the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) once again.In other updates, Roz Brewer's sudden departure from Walgreens has left many wondering about the reason behind it. Psycheceutical is developing a topical delivery technology for ketamine, which could have broader implications for other drugs. Ketamine has shown promise in treating mental health conditions such as treatment-resistant depression. J&J's Spravato, an FDA-approved drug for treatment-resistant depression, is administered nasally, but clinicians believe that intravenous ketamine is more effective. Psycheceutical aims to explore the potential relief provided by applying ketamine topically on the back of the neck.The rare disease market has seen significant growth in recent years, with pharmaceutical companies exploring treatments for these conditions. Ketamine's effectiveness in battling mental health conditions is being recognized, shifting its perception from a party drug to a potential therapeutic option. The text also mentions upcoming events and recent articles on various topics.In regulatory news, the FTC has given clearance for Amgen's acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics, subject to certain restrictions. Alvotech has resubmitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the FDA seeking an interchangeable designation for its biosimilar of Humira. Lawmakers have called on Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi to provide details on their insulin assistance programs. Alkermes has settled a patent lawsuit with Teva over the generic version of Vivitrol. Biontech and DualityBio are moving their antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) into Phase III trials for HER2-low breast cancer.Lastly, Bayer has reported positive early data for a Parkinson's cell therapy treatment it acquired in 2019. Epigenic, a Chinese startup, has raised funds to use CRISPR tools to edit the epigenome and alter gene expression without changing DNA. Catalent, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), is expanding its board and setting up a committee to review its business and capital allocation priorities. Several biotech companies have made advancements in constructing small-molecule drugs to target RNA, revolutionizing the industry.These developments highlight significant activities in the p

Paul L Wilder, Executive Director of the CommonWell Health Alliance and Liz Buckle, Director of Product, discuss CommonWell's vision, achievements, and plans for the future.  Plus, Wilder shares what he was hearing about the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) at the HIMSS 2023 annual conference and offers up a few takeaways.  Buckle also shares her experience at the Interop Showcase and details of the recent CommonWell FHIR Connectathon where CommonWell members leveraged FHIR to improve interoperability. FHIR, the API for automated data sharing, is mature and being adopted. This more recent standard makes trust automatable as well. To describe the current situation in health care, Wilder asked us to imagine if a retailer had to call your bank every time you made a credit card purchase. Wilder also dove into his experience with HIEs and how connectivity is key to public health and in preparation for future pandemics or other emergencies.  Buckle shared her experience from working for a founding member of CommonWell to becoming a full time employee in her role as Director of Product.  She aptly pointed out the importance of ensuring women and other diverse voices are in these efforts for the simple reason that we are all consumers of healthcare. She also pointed out how encouraging it was to see an even split of men and women in a meeting with candidate QHINs and federal partners. Wilder added that it is usually the mothers who carry the burden of tracking and managing health journeys for their family. The mom is the one who knows how hard it is to access elusive data and how important data sharing is. Learn more about CommonWell Health Alliance: https://www.commonwellalliance.org/ Find more great health IT content: https://www.healthcareittoday.com/

On today's episode of Gist Healthcare Daily, we hear the second part of JC's conversation with Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., M.P.P., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this conversation, they talk more about the proposed HTI-1 rule, including provisions regarding transparency in AI algorithms. They also discuss the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which aims to establish a universal floor for interoperability across the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Originally Published: Mar 22, 2023YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/OjbOUe4ouawSee what's happening at www.healthimpactlive.com In February, ONC announced the first cohort of qualified networks in TEFCA. TEFCA aims to transform the healthcare industry by enabling a seamless and secure exchange of health information. It aims to improve patient care, reduce healthcare costs, and promote innovation in healthcare delivery, designed to create a single "on-ramp" to nationwide interoperability. In this session, hear from ONC on recent progress, including: How the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement work together to create a single on-ramp to nationwide interoperability Review of the technical, legal, and organizational requirements for exchanging health information under TEFCA, including data standards, privacy, and security protocols, and patient consent. Collaboration and participation efforts to achieve the goal of creating a more connected and interoperable healthcare system.

Since the beginning of the year, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has rolled out several new updates to existing interoperability frameworks, including the 21st Century Cures Act, Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) and U.S. Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) to improve standards that enable better health information exchange. National Coordinator for Health IT Micky Tripathi explains the latest with these frameworks and discusses the implications on areas like artificial intelligence, interoperability, health equity, data security and more.

In this episode, hosts Joe Records, Payal Nanavati, and Jodi Daniel talk to three members of the health information industry regarding the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) published by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). This episode features Jay Nakashima (Executive Director of eHealth Exchange), Nichole Sweeney (General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer of CRISP Shared Services), and Erica Galvez (CEO of Manifest MedEx), who each share their experiences in the health information exchange industry and their expectations of TEFCA. Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring's health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities' in-house counsel, executives, and investors.

Ken Kleinberg, Innovation Lead, greeted guests and listeners explaining that The Dish on Health IT is a forum for Health IT innovators and catalysts to break down and discuss some of Health Its biggest news and most exciting milestones and that it is produced by Point-of-Care Partners (POCP) Health IT Consultants who work with stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem. Viewed as an independent trusted party. Ken was joined on this podcast by co-host, Jocelyn Keegan, Payer Practice Lead. They welcomed this episode's guests who serve as co-chairs of the FHIR at Scale Task Force or FAST Deepak Sadagopan, Chief Operating Officer of Population Health with Providence, and Duncan Weatherston, CEO of Smile Digital Health joined the podcast to dig into what FAST is up to now that it's transitioned from an ONC initiative into an HL7 FHIR accelerator the importance of building a strong framework for a national FHIR infrastructure, why FHIR scalability is crucial and how coordination and collaboration across the FHIR Community are integral.Jocelyn Keegan briefly introduced herself explaining that FAST sprung out of the leaders within Da Vinci recognizing there were critical components needed for FHIR implementation to happen smoothly and at scale so all the great implementation guides coming out of Da Vinci and the other Accelerators can more easily be picked up and used. The work of FAST is truly foundational. Deepak introduced himself expressing how much of a pleasure it's been to work alongside Duncan and that he's looking forward to all the work they have in front of them. He explained that he is the Chief Operating Officer for Population Health with Providence Health System and that he has been actively engaged in the standard space and particularly as it relates to the adoption of FHIR for the past few years. He explained that advocating for standards in the value-based care space and following the path CMS has laid out is the North Star of much of his work. Deepak continued to say that in order to benefit the entire population a foundational infrastructure that supports scalable adoption of modern standards is needed. This will help reduce administrative burden and improve the patient experience. FAST's work really resonated with me because I see the work as helping solve not only industry challenges but specific challenges my own organization faces. Duncan then introduced himself saying that he shares Deepak's enthusiasm for the team that has been put together to support the FHIR and Scale Task Force. Adding that all the members are well informed and have a deep belief in the value of the FHIR proposition and are really interested in ensuring that all of the community have the tools they need to be able to participate effectively which is essentially the heart of what FAST is trying to do. Duncan shared that he has a background as an architect in healthcare since the late 90s. He went on to say that he has played roles across different aspects of healthcare like population health and primary care systems. He went on to explain that his interest in FAST was due to the synergies in mission between FAST and Smile Digital Health, the company he founded.He went on to say that he believes the API-driven approach to Health Care is the necessary bedrock for real transformation in care delivery. He compared the transformation in healthcare to the transformations in finance or music industries adding that healthcare is much more complex which is why having stakeholders bringing their various perspectives to the table is critical to solving healthcare's biggest challenges. He added that FAST has a long path ahead. Ken asked Duncan to share a little bit more about FAST's history and the current status of its work. Duncan explained that the FHIR is Scale Task Force started as an ONC-convened initiative with the goal to solve common implementation challenges by building on the work the industry had already started and identifying other gaps that needed to be addressed. FAST then transitioned into an HL7 FHIR Accelerator to continue its work as an independent body. Members include stakeholders like EHRs, payers, health systems, really the whole gamut. The focus is to establish consistency in the adoption model, adding that ideally all of us should be singing from the same songbook when it comes to how we interoperate in this sort of burgeoning API landscape. Ken expressed his appreciation of the concept of solving common challenges and creating a common adoption model for the FHIR Community. He then transitioned to asking Deepak to share examples of real-world challenges provider organizations like his face that the work of FAST would help to solve. Deepak responded by sharing a scenario related to the wide geographic area across the west coast that Providence serves. Quality measurement for any organization like Providence is incredibly important because if it isn't measured, it can't be addressed. This quality data must be collected across all affiliates and partners to support Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and other types of arrangements where Providence and its affiliates and partners are held accountable for quality and total cost of care for a defined set of populations. On its face, this may seem simple, however, when one considers that a region may have as many as 45 different affiliates using 23 different electronic health record systems, one sees that the data is still very siloed. He continued to explain that when attempting to measure the quality of care for 300 000 beneficiaries covered under different ACO arrangements and 10 different payers, creating one platform or dashboard for all quality data is incredibly challenging. He continued by asking listeners to imagine a state where it's possible to have one central dashboard that can be queried to bring up patient data indicating the associated payer organization, which provider organization is able to use APIs to deliver data related to this patient or the set of patients both in terms of claims and clinical data associated with all the organizations that know about that patient and have interacted with that patient before. This would dramatically simplify the effort required for system-wide quality measurement. Ken empathized with the challenges stakeholders face. He went on to say that FAST is focused on infrastructure and scalability that would address some of these challenges. To gain further clarity on FAST's work, Ken asked for either of the guests would like to expound on how FAST fits in with the other HL7 accelerators. Duncan explained that he sees FAST as an Accelerator for Accelerators. FAST is trying to fill the gaps and overcome barriers to scalable FHIR Solutions. In addition to the implementation guide development, FAST is coordinating and collaborating with other Accelerators and organizations to align the FHIR community on policy and approaches to issues and harmonize existing efforts. The FAST implementation guides address scalability challenges related to areas like identity, security, and intermediary access for a consistent way to proxy content backward and forwards and also a provider directory. The current set of FAST IGs is pretty fundamental to the infrastructure deployment we have in mind but more than that, FAST is exploring opportunities to work on other collaborative strategies to support the creation of capabilities to operate across different governance frameworks or accountability agreements. Ken asked Jocelyn to weigh in wearing her Da Vinci Program Manager hat. Jocelyn referenced back to the scenario Deepak shared saying that as stakeholders need to exchange data across thousands of providers, and hundreds of payers to support an endless number of different agreements, someone needs to look at the macro picture to figure out what foundation guides or work are needed. She went on to say that Providence as an organization, while complex, is innovative and mature and their early work can serve almost like an advanced team, feeling out the challenges others will face. She continued to explain that right now, finding out which organizations have a FHIR server live, is a very manual process. In a future scenario, stakeholders should be able to publish their endpoints to a directory and allow it to be discoverable without having to manually do anything. Jocelyn went on to say that she believes FHIR adoption is much higher than currently reported partly because it's impossible to get a realistic view of live servers without having an endpoint directory. The industry agrees that using these modern standards is important but if these foundational pieces aren't addressed, we won't be able to achieve the level of automation we're looking for. Deepak responded to what Jocelyn said by agreeing and offering that some tracking of partner organizations can share data is being done using excel spreadsheets. He added that problem number one is consistency in the adoption of standards. In an ideal world, every endpoint should communicate information such as which patients are covered under their particular ACO arrangement in the same way. Next, stakeholders don't want to have to develop 10 different connections and have 10 different ways to indicate payer and patient data or require manually checking 10 different organizations. A directory-type structure would help. There needs to be consistency in approach and consistency in the adoption of the standards and the scalability across these different endpoints. He explained that so far, we've been successful in solving it in small microcosms but it's nowhere near the level of scalability required.Ken, in follow-up, probed about what is meant by scalability. Duncan responded by saying that some may look at scalability as being able to handle a high volume of transactions or lots of lots of data flowing backward and forwards and of course once we're at scale we have to support that. He referred back to what Deepak pointed out that it's really important that organizations be able to reach out to hundreds or thousands of others and that everyone is doing it in the same way. The way FAST sees scalability as creating a consistent fashion in which every endpoint can have a reliable and predictable mechanism by which they can discover, relate, log in, transact, and retrieve information the same way every time. He went on to say that the problem stakeholders face today is that we live in this heterogeneous environment if an organization needs to work with providers, they have to work with each provider discreetly and then providers working with payers have to coordinate with each payer discreetly. He continued that it doesn't stop there, the problems of a heterogeneous environment extend to researchers trying to gather information, or really any stakeholder within the healthcare ecosystem will face the same set of issues. This is why it's important to deploy a scalable methodology for information exchange. Ken responded by saying that he understands the leveling aspect of being ableto get everybody in a consistent methodology at scale is incredibly important. He went on to say that it made him think of the different types of railroad tracks across different parts of the world or mobile phone networks, ATM networks or electrical standards. He shared that his daughter's traveling through Europe now and she has a whole bag full of different plugs for the different countries she's traveling to that she's going to face. He asked if one of those comparisons was apt for what is going on in healthcare or if there was another preferred analogy. Duncan responded by saying that he thinks those are good comparisons to a point but went on to say that the key thing to remember is that those power plugs work regardless of whether you're plugging in your laptop, a stove or your electric car. Each may have different connectors or run on different volts but the fundamental grid that supplies thatpower is consistent. The idea that we all have the same experiences is very important. One of the advantages that we see with the plug system is at least within broad regions, the plugs remain the same whether in Seattle or Miami the plug I the same. If traveling to London one might need an adapter, but no one will need to break out a toolkit to rewire a device and through trial and error and a little bit of smoke get everything working. He added that if everyone had to bring an electrician with them on vacation, electricians would be in way more demand than we could ever supply. That's where we find ourselves today Ken followed up by asking how FAST goes about creating these common solutions and common implementation models and then pulling them through to adoption. Duncan responded that currently FAST has four implementation guides that have gone through the rigorous and transparent standards development process. In addition to that kind of work, FAST working to bring the community to the table to talk about the problems that they're discovering with scalability and then expose those as potential collaborative pathways going forward. FAST does that through communication and staying in contact with the other Accelerators and other implementers and keeping our ears to the ground for opportunities to collaborate. Deepak added that he looks at FAST as essentially a shared service for all the other accelerators like if you think of all the other accelerators or as individual business units and FAST is a common service that supports each of these other accelerators in enablement and scaling the standards they are developing, that is what FAST is focused on. Jocelyn spoke up to agree and add that the cross-pollination FAST has brought into the HL7 community has been really powerful and has helped tighten those connections. She added that having worked on a number of the Accelerators over the last few years one can't discount the value of convening conversation discussing and brainstorming with peers on how to solve complex problems.Ken asked for thoughts on the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement or TEFCA. He mentioned that TEFCA recently announced a first wave of half a dozen organizations approved as the so-called qualified health information networks or QHINs. He added that while TEFCA isn't a FHIR-specific framework although there is a recently introduced FHIR road map with payload support as well as facilitated and brokered FHIR Exchange in the future Ken asked whether TEFCA is on the right track. Duncan responded by saying that the intent of TEFCA is admirable and I believe that their goals are very well aligned with what FAST is trying to accomplish in the FHIR community. He added that the critical piece is to ensure there is a consistent strategy and a consistent set of standards for all of the members and participants in the community to be able to share information whether exchanging as part of TEFCA or outside of TEFCA. He continued by adding that the most important point is to avoid divergent standards. Duncan share that in his view, the implementation of TEFCA must align with the standards implementation community or else stakeholder will have to continue operating in a heterogeneous environment and trying to figure out what rules apply within TEFCA that might be different from everywhere else. Deepak concurred with Duncan's point that avoiding divergence is the most important thing. He added that TEFCA is engaging with the FHIR community and soliciting feedback and he hopes to see more of that to lead to better alignment. He added that if we don't gain alignment now, it will be much more difficult to address the new issues introduced into the ecosystem.The group discussed the relationship between standards and policy and the interconnectedness between them. All agreed that policy continues to be a powerful lever to move the industry towards interoperability even if things don't move as quickly as everyone would like. Closing out the episode, Ken asked the guests to share any final messages or calls to action for the industry. Duncan responded by saying that the industry is in the process of transformation from a pre-internet to a post-internet model. He continued by saying that every organization has an opportunity to evaluate what can be learned and applied from other industries that have experienced massive transformations. The industry also needs to recognize that it is an information industry. He added that it sometimes feels like healthcare is stuck in a debate on whether it is a bricks-and-mortar industry or information. He added that in his view it is very clearly an information industry and the adoption of standards like FHIR allows data exchange directly point to point in a consistent fashion. He continued by recommending organizations evaluate their role in the community evaluate their use of information and figure out how they can become part of this transformational solution so that patients get the best care at the most affordable rate.Deepak added his voice saying that he has been in the interoperability space for over 20 years now and that the industry is in a really exciting place. The whole industry is more active and engaged in this space. So many are taking an interest in liberating data from electronic health records and really figuring out how to democratize the use of healthcare data to drive better care and outcomes for the populations we serve and that is incredibly exciting to see. He added that of course the industry can sometimes get caught up in short-term challenges but that leads to healthy debate that will allow us to end up in a spot that leads to better outcomes for the Patients. Jocelyn implored stakeholders to pay attention to the work being done and to come to the table and share the business problem they're trying to solve and what data they're trying to free or if they're already down the implementation path to participate in testing. She concluded by recognizing that FAST is looking to move the industry into the future with a practical approach. Ken closed out the episode by thanking the guests and his co-host and reminding listeners they can find the podcast on Apple podcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts and to check out the POCP YouTube channel for videos of episodes. FAST will be speaking on March 22nd on an HL7 webinar. Register here. FAST will share a kiosk at ViVE in the InteropNow Pavilion and have a kiosk at HIMSS23 in the Interoperability Showcase. Reach out to FAST to learn more by emailing fast@hl7.org

Pooja Babbrah, host and Point-of-Care Partners Payer & PBM Lead, welcomes guest, Dr. Steven Lane, Chief Medical Officer with Health Gorilla and Point-of-Care Partners co-host, Jocelyn Keegan , Payer/Practice Lead and HL7 Da Vinci Project Program Manager. The discussion in this episode covers: - Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) - Information blocking…or rather information sharing, - Lane's transition from being part of a large health system to joining the health IT company, Health Gorilla and the different perspectives on innovation and change that come with operating in these quite different organizations. - The cycle of innovation and the role of policy. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen/

S2E3: Host Dr. Anders interviews A. John Blair, III, MD, F.A.C.S. CEO of MedAllies. They discuss interoperability in detail as MedAllies runs a national direct network with over 1.2 million users and is currently applying to become one of the first QHINs as part of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). Take a listen to hear Dr. Blair provide a wonderful overview of QHINs and how they will fit into the new healthcare interoperability ecosystem for all of us who are still trying to get a handle on how it all works. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen/

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/8raLJFL5YtE   Here is some notable healthcare-related business news for this 4th week of June, 2022   The Northside Hospital, headquartered in Sandy Springs metro Atlanta, has been fined $1 million by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for violating hospital price transparency rules.  The feds dictate that every hospital must provide a consumer-friendly price list of 300 medical and surgical procedures.  Northside Hospital failed to fulfill this obligation for two of its sites.  Northside isn't alone either since a national study showed that 51% of all US hospitals failed to do so.  Shame on the hospitals for hiding the truth and shame on the government for not enforcing the law.   https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/58122?s=newsreg     United Healthcare is offering the artificial intelligence-driven Kaia Health app to offer virtual physical therapy to its subscribers with musculoskeletal problems.  The app provides coaching with individualized feedback based on its analysis of the users motion in real-time using the a smartphone camera's monitoring.  The app also provides user access to human coaches for additional counseling and therapeutic help.   https://healthcareweekly.com/unitedhealthcare-and-kaia-health-partnered-for-a-new-virtual-physical-therapy-program/     Epic, the giant electronic medical records enterprise, will be signing on with the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement that will permit its 2,000 hospitals and 45,000 clinics greater information exchange and interoperability with clinical entities on other EMRs.  The Epic network will become part of the Sequoia Project to more toward better interchange of health data.  That means, if you are admitted emergently to a hospital in another state, your medical records will be available.  That could be lifesaving.   https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/epic-will-sign-tefca     And finally……To make its patient's episodes of care as frictionless as possible, Missouri's Columbia Orthopedic Group has hired Force Therapeutics to implement its digital care management platform in 22 of their 27 ambulatory surgery centers.  This wrap around electronic system uses a patient's clinical data to implement and monitor their journey through the system including pre-op patient education, pain control during and after the procedure, and appropriate rehabilitative measures following surgery.  The system also provides fail-safe communications between patients and their provider teams.   https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ambulatory-surgery-centers-virtual-care-platform-helps-boost-productivity-and-patient     There you have the latest healthcare-related business news for this 4th week of June, 2022   #hospital #prices #unitedhealthcare #physicaltherapy #epic #tefca #sequoia #forcetherapeutics #patientjourney    

Dave Lareau is the CEO of Medicomp Systems, which has spent 44 years working with providers to understand better the kinds of information that is most relevant to a diagnosis and therapeutic approach.  With 400,000 concepts and tens of millions of relevancy links and mappings to data, Medicomp is prepared to handle the flood of information expected with the standardization of person-centered care. Just finalized in January, TEFCA, the Trusted Exchange Framework, and Common Agreement is expected to provide an infrastructure for sharing information. Dave explains, "So there's a new era starting in healthcare, which is the data belongs to the patient. It doesn't belong to the provider or the organization. And now there's a framework in place for sharing it, a trusted framework. It's right in the name, TEFCA. And I think it's going to open up new possibilities, new opportunities, new challenges. And for the first time, the patient will be able to participate in the viewing and managing of their own care. It will radically change the way that people interact with information all along the continuum of care." @MedicompSys #TEFCA #ElectronicHealthRecords #EHR #DataExchange #Interoperability Medicomp.com Download the transcript

Dave Lareau is the CEO of Medicomp Systems, which has spent 44 years working with providers to understand better the kinds of information that is most relevant to a diagnosis and therapeutic approach.  With 400,000 concepts and tens of millions of relevancy links and mappings to data, Medicomp is prepared to handle the flood of information expected with the standardization of person-centered care. Just finalized in January, TEFCA, the Trusted Exchange Framework, and Common Agreement is expected to provide an infrastructure for sharing information. Dave explains, "So there's a new era starting in healthcare, which is the data belongs to the patient. It doesn't belong to the provider or the organization. And now there's a framework in place for sharing it, a trusted framework. It's right in the name, TEFCA. And I think it's going to open up new possibilities, new opportunities, new challenges. And for the first time, the patient will be able to participate in the viewing and managing of their own care. It will radically change the way that people interact with information all along the continuum of care." @MedicompSys #TEFCA #ElectronicHealthRecords #EHR #DataExchange #Interoperability Medicomp.com Listen to the podcast here

ONC has been at work setting up the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, establishing information-blocking requirements, iterating on the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability and standardizing FHIR-based APIs. This groundwork is coming together to empower patients to use their health data and uplift the power of electronic health records. National Coordinator for Health IT Micky Tripathi is joining HealthCast from the 2022 HIMSS conference to tell us more.

Patients, and their providers, deserve to have immediate, accurate access to their personal health information so they can get the best healthcare possible. How and where does the concept of interoperability come into play for a number of societal issues and patient care delivery challenges we are trying to solve for? Let's look at TEFCA to find out.in today's story, we are joined by two organizations—HITRUST and EHNAC—dedicated to making the healthcare ecosystem thrive by reducing friction in risk management and in supply chain interoperability. This spirit couldn't be applied at a better time with the recent release of TEFCA—the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement.We are all part of the equation. It's all about enablement and trust. It comes down to the collective spirit to provide better care for everyone, wherever they are from, and wherever they are currently located.HITRUST and EHNAC, through their partnership with other stakeholders via the Trusted Network Accreditation Program (TNAP), are dedicated to reducing the friction to become part of Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN). Their combined goal is to make it possible for everyone to do their part to provide better care. And that comes down to safe, secure, and trusted interoperability."If we can enable the stakeholders to make interoperability work, that's what we want to do. This doesn't need to be overly complicated. If it becomes overly complicated, that impacts better, quicker care delivery. We [HITRUST and EHNAC] see ourselves fitting into the equation by reducing complexity in interoperability. And we're very passionate about it." ~Michael Parisi"It's all about stakeholder trust. It's all about raising the bar and creating the highest level of stakeholder trust across all the various stakeholders, including the patients, which are a very key component. We need to really raise the bar to allow patients to have a lot more access to their data. It's an opportunity for all in the ecosystem to make a change for the better for a better future." ~Lee BarrettAbout TEFCAThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that ONC published the Trusted Exchange Framework, Common Agreement - Version 1, and QHIN Technical Framework - Version 1 on January 18, 2022. Entities seeking to be designated as Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs) can begin reviewing the requirements and considering whether to voluntarily apply.About TNAPThe Trusted Network Accreditation Program (TNAP) was developed to directly align with the development of the 21st Century Cures Act required Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). TNAP seeks to promote interoperability by assuring the security and privacy of trusted networks and the use of enabling technologies in the healthcare ecosystem. The program provides third-party review with accreditation for Trusted Exchange QHINs and participants, addresses existing security and privacy compliance mandates by requiring HITRUST CSF® Certification along with rights management, and compliance with new TEFCA regulatory requirements.Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.____________________________GuestsLee BarrettExecutive Director at Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC - @EHNAC)On Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-barrett-2038b628/On Twitter | https://twitter.com/LeeBarrettEHNACMichael Parisi, VP of Adoption, @HITRUST____________________________Catch the webcast and the podcast here: https://itspm.ag/hitrust-ehnac-tefca-tnap-storyBe sure to visit HITRUST at https://itspm.ag/itsphitweb to learn more about their offering.____________________________ResourcesOn-Demand Webinar | The Key To Better Health Care: https://itspm.ag/hitrusxukxTrusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA): https://www.healthit.gov/topic/interoperability/trusted-exchange-framework-and-common-agreement-tefcaThe Trusted Network Accreditation Program (TNAP): https://trustednetworkap.org/____________________________Are you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-story

Get to know the newly released Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA): what it is, what it does, and how it might impact nationwide interoperability.

Recorded on 02/15/22 In this episode, we discuss interoperability in healthcare, or how data can be more easily shared among stakeholders in healthcare. This has been a unique problem in healthcare, but over the last decade efforts have been underway to resolve that problem first through the HITECH Act and then through the 21st Century Cures Act. Most recently, as part of the Cures Act, we've seen the introduction of TEFCA, the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, which sets out a number of guiding principles for the establishment of a nationwide health information network. To discuss this topic and more, we are joined by Micky Tripathi, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he leads the formulation of the federal health IT strategy and coordinates federal health IT policies, standards, programs, and investments. In addition, Eric Assaraf from Cowen's Washington Research Group joins us as well to help host this episode. For Disclosures, click here bit.ly/3cPHkNW

The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, also known as TEFCA, is now officially live. Joining Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich to talk about how TEFCA's implementation will affect those at multiple levels of the healthcare industry is Dr. Dan Golder, principal at the consulting firm Impact Advisors. Talking points:Why everyone should learn about TEFCAThe journey from the 21st Century Cures ActThe "TEF" and the "CA"Wait, what's a QHIN?The role the Sequoia Project plays in the frameworkNot every current HIE can become a QHINHow will TEFCA affect individual health systems?Who could benefit the most from TEFCAThe role cost will play, and ensuring long-term financial viabilityPotential effect on patientsWho should be responsible for potential data breachesThe non-healthcare data includedPredictions for 2022More about this episode:ONC names Sequoia Project as TEFCA coordinatorTEFCA could introduce a 'new exchange paradigm'TEFCA, framework for nationwide health info exchange, now live from ONCSo TEFCA is live. Now what?Everything you wanted to know about TEFCA (but were afraid to ask)

Guest, Dr. Tim Pletcher, Executive Director of the Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) joins The Dish on Health IT panel of senior consultants, Gary Austin, Jocelyn Keegan and Ken Kleinberg to discuss the role of Health Information Exchanges in healthcare, their role in the response to COVID-19 and what role they can serve in the future once TEFCA is finalized.  Gary Austin kicked off the episode by having Ken and Jocelyn give their perspective on HIEs. Ken went on to provide a primer on the history of HIEs and their varying role depending on the model before going on to mention that the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) may change the ecosystem once finalized. Dr. Pletcher explained that the MiHIN Group is comprised of 3 companies: MiHIN,  Velatura & Interoperability Institute. Each company serves a specific purpose. Velatura was created to stay aware of what is happening at the national level and to operate nationally. The Interoperability Institute is a research and development group staffed by interns who are the next generation of Health IT professionals. HIEs were compared to public commons, like parks and good roads and bridges that people want to have but don't necessarily want to pay for. Dr. Pletcher pointed out that many HIEs were created prematurely before EHR standards and adoption was where it needed to be for valuable data exchange. Ultimately the value model for MiHIN is based on use cases that are then driven to mass adoption.    The value lies primarily with the government and health insurance companies so payers primarily pay for MiHIN service so providers are incentivized to improve data quality while being subsidized to change their workflow to do so. What's the difference between the successful HIE vs struggling models? Dr. Pletcher pointed out that it's centered around the value the HIE is bringing to each stakeholder and building upon it over time while following the money. Jocelyn added that solving real problems and talking about the elephants in the room to deal with barriers head-on is crucial. She offered that having MiHIN join the HL7 Da Vinci Project is hastening progress. There is an opportunity for HIEs to reinvent themselves as more flexible API standards are developed and take advantage of fielded codifiable exchange tools to get things into real production environments and take out custom codes and massive production efforts. The team continued to discuss the financial model of HIEs and how they may evolve post-COVID-19. Will there be more government funding after COVID-19 calms down? Maybe, but there are a lot of people in need and the general funds at the state level are tapped. There may be some federal programs that look toward automation to cut down on some of he manual processes that are still eating up resources. There may be other non-government revenue streams that open up either with employers or by offering telehealth services at the HIE level. Jocelyn pointed out that while streamlining and making data liquid in general (whether through HIEs or just better adoption of APIs in general) is a money saver for health systems and payers,  patients also win through getting better, more informed care and ultimately leading to better outcomes. Part 2 of this conversation is coming soon!  

A year after Draft 2 of TEFCA, what has happened and where are we now? The ONC awarded a cooperative agreement to The Sequoia Project to serve as the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) to develop, update, implement, and maintain the Common Agreement and the QTF. On today's episode, Shahid Shah joins your host, Don Lee to talk with the CEO of The Sequoia Project, Mariann Yeager. If you are an HIE and you want to become a QHIN (or sell to one), this episode is for you. Highlights from What you need to Know About TEFCA Right Now TEFCA, Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, are the rules of the road and the specific technical requirements to enable health information networks to interconnect. Sequoia has an HIE portfolio and is helping the ONC to implement TEFCA What is a Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN)? Minimum requirements for legal and privacy vs. technical implementation details for interoperability What do product managers, developers, and customers need to know about TEFCA? Read the QTF! The technology used for treatment based exchange is the easy part. TEFCA provides the trusted community to get over the privacy concerns. Ms. Yeager breaks down the TEFCA Value Proposition. What parts of TEFCA are descriptive vs. prescriptive? Does the government or industry get to decide what it means to be "TEFCA compliant"? Mariann Yeager Mariann Yeager, CEO has more than 20 years of experience in the health information technology field. She currently serves as CEO for The Sequoia Project, a non-profit solely focused on advancing secure, interoperable nationwide health data sharing in the US.  She also leads the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) effort, in close collaboration with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to develop, implement, and maintain the Common Agreement component of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) and to operationalize the Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) designation and monitoring process. The Sequoia Project also serves as a steward of independently governed health IT interoperability initiatives including the Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies (PULSE) and the RSNA Image Share Validation Program.  Under her leadership, The Sequoia Project supported, the startup, growth and maturation of two highly successfully interoperability initiatives, the eHealth Exchange and Carequality, which now operate as independent non-profit organizations.  Prior to her tenure at The Sequoia Project, she worked with the HHS Office of National Coordinator (ONC) for five years on nationwide health information network initiatives.  She also led the launch and operation of the first ambulatory and inpatient EHR certification program in the US.  The Sequoia Project The Sequoia Project is a non-profit, 501c3, public-private collaborative chartered to advance implementation of secure, interoperable nationwide health information exchange. The Sequoia Project focuses on solving real-world interoperability challenges and brings together public and private stakeholders in forums like the Interoperability Matters cooperative to overcome barriers. Sequoia also supports multiple, independently governed interoperability initiatives, such as the Patient Unified Lookup Service for Emergencies (PULSE), a system used by disaster healthcare volunteers to treat individuals injured or displaced by disasters. Links and Resources www.sequoiaproject.org Interoperability Matters Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies (PULSE) Qualified Health Information Network (Q-HIN) Technical Framework or QTF page 70, Appendix 3 Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) TEFCA Public Webinars @sequoiaproject on Twitter