Why Point-of-Care Diagnostic Filtering, Interoperability Are Essential in the Age of TEFCA, QHINs

Health data interoperability recently took a major step forward when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the first six organizations as Qualified Health Information Networks (QHIN) applicants accepted for onboarding under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). Many predicted the coming “data tsunami” once the floodgates opened and information was shared more widely, and discussed how increased interoperability would create both opportunities and challenges. When the QHIN approvals were announced, Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health IT, mentioned “operational friction in interoperability” and the challenges of moving information between enterprises — which is a primary issue that QHINs seek to address.