The Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC) https://strategichie.com recently held their 2021 Annual Conference in Scottsdale Arizona (August 15-18).
The conference speakers and attendees discussed how HIE exchanges, producing innovations in public health, developing partnerships, will enable the U.S. and the world to immediately respond aggressively to future worldwide pandemics if they occur.
The first item on the Conference agenda announced that National Leaders in Health Information Exchange and Healthcare Improvement and SHIEC have just joined forces. The Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement with Craig Brammer as CEO and SHIEC have formed a new organization named Civitas Networks for Health https://civitasforhealth.org.
The new organization will serve as a platform for local nonprofit health collaboratives and HIEs to grow and thrive. The organization will offer engagement opportunities and support action at the local, state, and national levels to achieve policy goals for healthcare quality, cost, and equity through data driven, collaborative, and transformative strategies
Lisa Bari, Interim CEO for SHIEC will serve as interim Chief Executive Officer for the new organization. She said, “It will take collaboration with these local organization to truly transform health and build the trusted relationships that can help achieve a national interoperability infrastructure.”
At the SHIEC Conference, Micky Tripathi, PhD, M.P.P, National Coordinator, for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) https://www.cdc.gov shared how ONC views interoperability and the public health sector today.
COVID-19 has been testing the system as to how EHRs along with information systems and networks have responded to the pandemic. He emphasized that it is very important to deal with EHR adoption and optimization, health equity, and healthcare polices involving relevant Federal agencies.
Dr. Tripathi updated the audience on the preparation of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) which is expected be unveiled in 2022. TEFCA will establish universal interoperability across the country and establish the model and approach for users in different networks to securely share clinical information.
ONC also recently announced the release of the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability Version 2 (USCDlv2) which includes specific data elements that could help advance the use of HIT to support health equity to include the collection, access, and reporting of standardized Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) data.
Dr. Tripathi reports that has HHS updated Interoperability Standards to support the electronic exchange of sexual orientation, gender identity, and Social Determinants of Health. ONC released the updated United Sates Core Data for Interoperability version 2 or (USCDI v2). As he explained, USCDIv2 builds on the feedback received from stakeholders and the new version reflects on America’s diversity.
Dr. Tripathi also explained that Senior ONC and CDC officials are working together. ONC’s work with CDC includes, understanding public health threats, improving public health data systems, working on interoperability problems occurring in labs, public health system standardization, the nationwide interoperability network, and public health reporting incentives.