WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has announced new measures to strengthen the nation's primary electronic health information exchange network after the system surpassed one billion health records exchanged, marking a significant milestone in the federal government's effort to improve secure interoperability across the healthcare sector.
The announcement, made on June 26 and highlighted ahead of ONC activities on July 1, centers on the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), a nationwide framework designed to enable healthcare providers, patients and other authorized participants to securely exchange electronic health information across organizational boundaries. According to HHS, the number of health records exchanged through TEFCA increased from roughly 10 million to more than one billion in less than a year.
To support the network's continued expansion, ONC said it has awarded a new contract to strengthen oversight of TEFCA and verify that participating organizations comply with required policies and procedures. The agency also said it is conducting additional reviews of Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs) and their participants to ensure compliance with the framework's operating rules.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement that Americans "deserve secure, timely access to their health records," adding that the department is strengthening TEFCA to improve care coordination while helping patients maintain control over their health information.
Thomas Keane, M.D., the national coordinator for health information technology, said secure interoperability remains central to improving healthcare delivery. He said ONC would refer potentially civilly or criminally actionable conduct identified within the network, including possible information blocking or fraud, to appropriate federal agencies such as the HHS Office for Civil Rights, the HHS Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Justice for investigation where appropriate.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights said it would continue enforcing federal health privacy requirements, emphasizing that individuals must have secure access to their own health information while maintaining confidentiality protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
TEFCA was established to create a common nationwide approach for exchanging electronic health information, fulfilling interoperability goals outlined under the 21st Century Cures Act. Federal officials have described the framework as a foundation for improving care coordination, reducing administrative barriers and expanding patient access to medical records. Earlier this year, HHS reported that nearly 500 million records had been exchanged through the network before the latest milestone was reached.
ONC said it will continue expanding oversight and monitoring of the network as participation grows, while maintaining a focus on secure data exchange and compliance with TEFCA requirements.
