What You Should Know:
– The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), along with The Sequoia Project, Inc., a Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE), has released Common Agreement Version 2.0 (CA v2.0).
What is the Common Agreement?
The Common Agreement establishes a set of common rules and technical standards for secure health information exchange across different health information networks (HINs) and their users. This essentially creates a common language for healthcare data, enabling seamless and secure sharing of critical clinical information.
Benefits of CA v2.0
This new version of the Common Agreement brings several key improvements:
- Focus on FHIR API Exchange: CA v2.0 mandates support for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) Application Programming Interface (API) exchange. FHIR is a modern, standardized approach to sharing healthcare data electronically. This standardization will significantly improve the ease and efficiency of information exchange between TEFCA participants, including health information networks and healthcare providers.
- Empowering Patients: By enabling easier information exchange, CA v2.0 empowers patients to access their healthcare information more readily. Patients will be able to use their preferred health apps to access their medical records through TEFCA, fostering greater patient engagement and care coordination.
- Reduced Legal Burden: The release of Participant and Subparticipant Terms of Participation provides a standalone document that can be incorporated into existing data use agreements. This streamlined approach reduces legal complexities and costs associated with connecting to TEFCA, further encouraging wider adoption.
“The initial exchange of clinical data began within 24 hours of the nation’s first Qualified Health Information Networks achieving designation in December 2023,” said Mariann Yeager, The Sequoia Project CEO and RCE lead. “Today’s release includes framework enhancements, including greater use of FHIR, better support for use cases beyond treatment, and simplified onboarding for Participants like clinicians, digital health apps, public health agencies and other end users of health data.”
