With the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) closer to being fully implemented, the number of potential Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs) is growing. Health Gorilla publicized our intentions last fall and recently Epic, eHealth Exchange, and CommonWell Health Alliance also said they aim to be QHINs.
When operational, QHINs will support the goals of TEFCA and act as on-ramps for healthcare information exchange, ensuring that electronic health information follows an individual regardless of their geographical location or who they opt to receive care from. They will also promote national scalability, improve security, and decrease administrative burdens for the healthcare industry – all of which will improve clinical outcomes, streamline operations, and lower costs overall.
Health Gorilla built our FHIR-native Health Interoperability Platform to align with the goals of TEFCA and believe our advanced technology will help establish a nationwide floor of interoperability. But for the "network of networks" approach to be successful, QHINs will have to rely on one another and act as connectivity brokers to ensure interoperability between the networks they represent.
Since announcing our intention to pursue a QHIN designation in October 2021, we have been eagerly waiting for other organizations to announce their plans as well, and are very excited to see Epic, eHealth Exchange, and CommonWell participating. Health Gorilla is a longtime member of eHealth Exchange and CommonWell and already has a strong working relationship with Epic, so we look forward to improving interoperability alongside them.
“Collaboration is going to be a crucial component of TEFCA’s success,” said Steve Yaskin, CEO and co-founder of Health Gorilla. “We are entering a new era of interoperability with TEFCA and QHINs as our guiding light.”
Learn more about Health Gorilla’s pursuit of a QHIN designation, get additional resources about TEFCA, and sign up for our newsletter on our Path to QHIN page. If you are part of a healthcare organization and interested in expanding the data available to your physicians or patients, contact us anytime to talk to an expert, find out how we can support your particular use case, or get a demo.
