A nationwide health data exchange network governed by the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA, is now operational and ready to conduct secure sharing of electronic health information among eligible members.
Epic Nexus, eHealth Exchange, Health Gorilla, KONZA and MedAllies have been designated Qualified Health Information Networks, or QHINs, tasked with supporting patient data exchange under the TEFCA policies and technical requirements, the Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday.
The QHINs will provide shared services and governance to forward messages, queries and responses across networks securely for eligible participants.
“Designating these first QHINs is just the beginning,” said Mariann Yeager, CEO of The Sequoia Project. “Now, we hope to see the rapid expansion of TEFCA exchange as these pioneering networks roll-out the benefits of TEFCA to their customers and members, while additional QHINs continue to onboard.”
The Sequoia Project serves as the recognized coordinating entity for TEFCA under a contract with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, supporting the data exchange framework’s development and implementation in compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act.