KONZA National Network is TEFCA Ready

Improving health data interoperability nationwide

KONZA National Network is one of the first organizations to have its application approved to continue to the testing and onboarding phase to become a Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA).

Partnering with the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE), the Sequoia Project, one of the primary objectives of TEFCA is to bring health information networks together as QHINs to serve as central health data exchange partners that allow providers access to complete patient health records no matter their location.

KONZA National Network enables the sharing of clinical information at the point of care, while supporting transformative value-based payment models, care management and data analytics. As a credible, trusted and strategic partner for patients, physicians, healthcare providers and facilities across the country, KONZA provides 12 years of health information exchange (HIE) expertise.

KONZA partners with State Medical Societies and Independent Physician Associations (IPAs) to provide physician-led and governed health information exchanges. Learn more about KONZA’s services here.

Our QHIN Vision

KONZA will harness 12 years of health information exchange (HIE) expertise to expand access to healthcare information and operationalize TEFCA.
National interoperability requires many layers, exchange protocols, privacy and security. KONZA is committed to the highest level of privacy and security as demonstrated through EHNAC accreditation and pursuit of HITRUST certification with DirectTrust as our compliance partner.
Existing KONZA providers are already connected and participating in nationwide data sharing with the value-added benefits of improved patient care, access to actionable, streamlined data and time/cost-saving practices.

KONZA has been working behind the scenes to implement anticipated technology and policies in preparation for operationalizing TEFCA. Achieving a QHIN Designation will allow existing and future participants to connect into TEFCA through their existing HIE connection with KONZA.
This will allow our participants to establish their connection easily and seamlessly to TEFCA when it’s available later this year.

WHAT IS TEFCA?

Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA)

The 21st Century Cures Act called on the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT to create and support a Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA).

TEFCA outlines a common set of technical and legal requirements to simplify and enable nationwide exchange of healthcare data.

A central component of TECFA is operationalizing Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs) to serve as centralized exchange partners in a network-of-networks approach.

The Sequoia Project was selected to be the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE), which is responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining TEFCA with the ONC.

PROVIDER BENEFITS

Designated QHINs will securely exchange health data with other QHINs. Connecting to TEFCA will enable providers with the ability to send, receive and query for standardized electronic health information from a wide range of participants nationwide, which is expected to help participating providers:

Improve care
Provide patients with access to their health records
Improve care coordination
Deliver data for value-based care, care management and population health
Reduce the need to participate in multiple exchanges
Relieve the burden of public health reporting
Support emergency preparedness and response
Increase confidence in data received from other providers

NEXT STEPS

The process to become a designated QHIN is new to everyone. There is much to be learned and realized as we work through the QHIN onboarding process. We are proud to work closely with the RCE and other early adopter QHINs to operationalize TEFCA.

KONZA has and will continue to provide valuable input into the process, requirements and advancement of TEFCA.

KONZA and the handful of other organizations that have achieved QHIN application approval will now move into the third phase of the QHIN designation process, where the focus will shift to pre-production testing and project plan completion.