The launch of TEFCA by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is a huge step toward updating the flow of electronic health information in the US.
So, What Is TEFCA?
TEFCA is an abbreviation for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement. It was created under the 21st Century Cures Act to ensure secure and universal access to electronic health information (EHI) across the sometimes very disconnected health information networks (HINs) that exist in the country.
The volume of EHI has been steadily increasing in the last two decades. According to the ONC, 96% of hospitals and 78% of office-based physicians rely on certified EHR services to store patient data. Despite this, the flow of healthcare data has been slowed by obstacles like data silos and differences in usage agreements of different networks.
TEFCA is an initiative by the federal government to fill in the interoperability gaps that currently affect the US healthcare system. The main goals of TEFCA are:
- Providing a pathway to national connectivity for healthcare records.
- Enabling universal accessibility for patients’ EHRs, irrespective of their location or healthcare provider.
- Setting up a scalable, interoperable system for sharing EHI.
TEFCA’s Key Components
With its mission of enabling convenient, secure, efficient, and accurate access to health information, TEFCA relies on several components:
- Trusted Exchange Framework: A set of high-level principles for HINs to follow for the trusted exchange of EHI.
- Common Agreement: A legal agreement between TEFCA’s Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) and a qualified health information network (QHIN) that defines the legal and technical requirements for sharing private health information on a national scale.
- QHIN Technical Framework (QTF): Outlines all technical specifications for information exchange between qualified health information network or QHINs.
How TEFCA Works
TEFCA is designed to usher in a change in interoperability in the US healthcare system. Here’s how it can streamline the portability of EHI:
- The ONC defines the policy and governance requirements.
- The RCE selects QHINs that meet the criteria and standards of the Common Agreement.
- QHINs use connectivity brokers to facilitate nationwide interoperability.
- Individual QHINs connect participants and sub-participants to the nationally connected framework.
This model ensures the smooth flow of health information from participants to the QHIN and vice versa.
Launch of TEFCA and Benefits for Medical Practices
TEFCA marks a very exciting milestone for digital health. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra called the launch of TEFCA “another major milestone in our march towards a 21st-century digital health care system.”
TEFCA Advantages
With the launch of TEFCA, these advancements in US healthcare can be expected:
- Improved access to healthcare information
- Enhanced interoperability for Medicaid patients and other beneficiaries of government assistance
- Healthcare providers no longer need multiple tools or platforms to access health information
Benefits for Medical Practices
TEFCA also has specific benefits for healthcare providers:
- Easily accessible primary data source for secure EHI exchange, which will simplify processes like checking patient records and payment information
- Lower operational costs by reducing the reliance on multiple disconnected HINs
- Additional tool to better protect patient data in compliance with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) guidelines
How To Prepare for the Launch of TEFCA
As of August 2024, participation in TEFCA is voluntary. Yet, if you own or work at a medical practice, you should already be taking steps to become a TEFCA participant.
It’s essential to stamp out inconsistencies in how your practice captures, identifies, and stores patient data. This means reviewing the tools and applications used by your practice to ensure that they enable secure access to EHRs and support smooth interoperability.
Taking this step toward the future of healthcare will enable your practice to access important information more easily and quickly. It will also give healthcare providers a more complete view of health records, enabling more accurate diagnoses and increasing positive treatment outcomes.
