Data Strategy Briefing — January 18, 2022
ONC and the Sequoia Project released the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, giving Qualified Health Information Network applicants the baseline policies for nationwide interoperability exchange.
Executive briefing: ONC and the Recognized Coordinating Entity published Version 1 of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) on 18 January 2022. The release finalised common policies, standard operating procedures, and technical requirements for organisations seeking Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) designation.
Key interoperability checkpoints
- Policy mapping. Compare TEFCA privacy, security, and exchange purposes to existing data use agreements to identify gaps.
- Participant onboarding. Determine whether to apply as a QHIN, Participant, or Subparticipant and plan for the associated technical and governance commitments.
- Testing readiness. Align infrastructure with TEFCA's standards-based exchange protocols and certificate management requirements.
Operational priorities
- Roadmap integration. Incorporate TEFCA milestones into interoperability programmes alongside Cures Act, USCDI, and payer mandates.
- Risk management. Update enterprise risk registers to cover TEFCA breach notification, audit, and suspension provisions.
- Stakeholder coordination. Engage legal, privacy, and clinical leadership on TEFCA data use cases and participation benefits.
Enablement moves
- Launch readiness assessments benchmarking current exchange capabilities against QHIN onboarding checklists.
- Stand up TEFCA governance forums to monitor SOP updates and implementation guides.
Sources
Zeph Tech accelerates TEFCA adoption with governance design, technical readiness assessments, and QHIN onboarding playbooks.