Epic Systems, a leading health-care software company, announced its plans to transition all of its hospital and clinic customers to a new federal-backed medical records exchange by the end of 2025. This move aligns with the federal government’s Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which aims to create a secure and standardized framework for sharing patient data across different health-care organizations.
Launched in December, TEFCA is designed to address the complexities of exchanging medical records between various hospitals and clinics. Epic, which manages records for over 280 million individuals in the U.S., is committed to having its entire customer base live on the TEFCA network by the end of next year. The company stated that it expects all customers to be committed to this transition by the end of 2024.
The challenge of sharing medical records arises from the diverse formats and systems used by different vendors, compounded by stringent privacy protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Epic’s endorsement of TEFCA is anticipated to enhance the framework’s credibility, given the company’s extensive reach and long-standing presence in the market.
In addition to Epic’s announcement, Carequality, an interoperability network that includes Epic as a member, also plans to align with TEFCA. Carequality’s revised policy will adhere to TEFCA’s definitions for the permitted purposes of data exchange, such as treatment, to prevent misuse of patient records.
Epic commended Carequality’s decision to synchronize with TEFCA and affirmed its support for facilitating the transition for its customers. With Carequality connecting over 70% of U.S. hospitals, more than 50,000 clinics, and 600,000 care providers, Epic’s commitment is expected to drive wider adoption of TEFCA and improve health information exchange across the country.
