eHealth Exchange Approved as Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) Candidate

Network Testing Is Next Step To Onboard as QHIN under TEFCA To Deliver Interoperability in Support of Patient Health

eHealth Exchange announced its Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) application under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) has been approved. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra recognized eHealth Exchange as an approved QHIN candidate and as an organization that has agreed to meet the stringent TEFCA eligibility requirements, which include a 12-month go-live timeline. This approval positions eHealth Exchange’s electronic data-sharing network to be among the first QHINs.

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Published in 2022 by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) with the TEFCA Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE), The Sequoia Project, TEFCA aims to establish a standardized infrastructure and universal floor for interoperability across the country.

“We are thrilled to move forward in the QHIN designation process and begin the testing phase,” said Jay Nakashima, executive director of eHealth Exchange. “Secretary Becerra’s recognition is a testament to eHealth Exchange’s efforts to support electronic health data sharing for the past 13 years. We will continue to support the health data sharing needs of the federal agencies and other participants in our public-private network.”

Several regional health information exchanges (HIEs), the backbone of interoperability, have signaled their intent to participate in QHIN-based exchange through the eHealth Exchange: CRISP Shared Services, which provides HIE and health data utility infrastructure for five statewide non-profit HIE organizations; Virginia Health Information, which is the commonwealth’s non-profit health data organization with its statewide HIE known as ConnectVirginia; and the Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI), a collection of five of the nation’s largest and most robust non-profit health data networks (Contexture, CRISP, CyncHealth, Indiana Health Information Exchange, and Manifest MedEx).

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“In the QHIN arena, there is a role for both non-profits and commercial entities working with HIEs,” Nakashima said. “We look forward to providing a seamless on-ramp for participants to join the new federal TEFCA framework, enabling them to streamline regulatory compliance.”

Through its network participants, eHealth Exchange connects 75% of all U.S. hospitals, tens of thousands of medical groups, and more than 70% of all regional and state HIEs. The HITRUST certified network supports more than 30 different electronic medical record technologies, is active in all 50 states, and connects to other national health information networks today via Carequality. If designated a QHIN, eHealth Exchange participants will extend their data sharing even further to include any organization that will participate in any of the QHINs ultimately designated by ONC.

eHealth Exchange features inclusive and participatory governance and a data storage model that allows participants to retain full autonomy and control over how they handle critical issues related to patient matching, cybersecurity, legal compliance, and audit logging. This level of control will be particularly important for federal agencies as well as state and regional HIEs that operate under varying regulatory requirements.

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