Trump government initiates health data-sharing program
The Trump administration has announced a new health data sharing initiative, centred on the CMS Interoperability Framework, aiming to revolutionize healthcare delivery by enabling seamless, secure sharing of electronic health information among patients, providers, and digital health tools.
The initiative encourages alignment around unified standards for patient and provider access to health data, fostering a connected ecosystem that supports personalized care, chronic disease management, and cost-effective health navigation. The initiative also plans to add a library of trusted health apps to Medicare.gov to further enhance patient engagement and decision-making.
Companies like Amazon, Google, Epic, and other major tech and healthcare firms play a crucial role by committing to meet the CMS Interoperability Framework criteria, integrating their platforms, and developing tools within this ecosystem. Their participation helps "kill the clipboard" by digitizing patient intake records and enabling patients to use secure, personalized digital tools to access and manage their health data. This collaboration is designed to reduce provider burden, improve outcomes, and drive healthcare value by promoting data interoperability and patient-centered care.
The initiative emphasizes data privacy and security, with the Office for Civil Rights ensuring that information sharing complies with HIPAA regulations and that patients' sensitive health data is protected despite the inclusion of third-party apps not traditionally covered by HIPAA.
The partnership aims to deliver results for the American people in the first quarter of next year. More than 60 companies have pledged to participate in the initiative, including technology firms, providers, insurers, and health data sharing networks. Eleven health systems, including Cleveland Clinic, Bon Secours Mercy Health, and Intermountain Health, have also pledged to participate in the networks and accept patient information through digital tools to help "kill the clipboard."
Thirty companies, including Google, Apple, and Samsung, have joined the initiative to improve health outcomes with technology, with a focus on allowing patients to retrieve their health data through the network or personal apps and share that information with providers. Other firms have signed on to use the network or apps to access health data to provide support to patients managing diabetes or obesity.
The healthcare sector has seen some recent progress on health data sharing, including the launch of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) in late 2023. However, the CMS didn't respond to a request for comment by press time on how the latest data sharing initiative will interact with TEFCA.
Shaye Mandle, executive director of AdvaMed's Digital Health Tech division, praised the initiative, emphasizing the need for connected data across the continuum of care for personalized, precision medicine. Mandle also noted that the medtech industry can do more with additional tools, but access to critical information for research and development can be a challenge.
The initiative focuses on encouraging adoption of a voluntary blueprint for data sharing called CMS Interoperability Framework and increasing the availability of digital health tools. The framework's criteria are supposed to be "visionary," with goals such as ensuring patients can access their electronic medical data anywhere on the network, using apps of their choice, and responding to data queries quickly.
The initiative is a significant step towards addressing the long-term challenge of interoperability and information sharing in the healthcare sector. As more companies and healthcare providers join the initiative, we can expect to see improvements in healthcare outcomes and a more connected, patient-centric healthcare system.
[1] Trump Administration Announces Health Data Sharing Initiative (2021) [online] Available at: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/09/01/trump-administration-announces-health-data-sharing-initiative.html [2] CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule (2020) [online] Available at: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-releases-final-rule-interoperability-and-patient-access [3] AdvaMed Praises CMS Interoperability Framework (2021) [online] Available at: https://www.advamed.org/news/advamed-praises-cms-interoperability-framework [4] Health Data Sharing Initiative to Boost Health Outcomes (2021) [online] Available at: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/09/01/health-data-sharing-initiative-to-boost-health-outcomes.html [5] Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) (2023) [online] Available at: https://www.cms.gov/about/programs-services/national-health-information-network/trusted-exchange-framework-and-common-agreement-tefca
- The initiative, titled CMS Interoperability Framework, aims to revolutionize healthcare delivery by fostering a connected ecosystem that allows seamless, secure sharing of electronic health information among patients, providers, and digital health tools, with a focus on enhancing personalized care, chronic disease management, and cost-effective health navigation.
- Companies like Amazon, Google, Epic, and other major tech and healthcare firms are participating by committing to meet the CMS Interoperability Framework criteria, integrating their platforms, and developing tools within this ecosystem to digitize patient intake records and enable secure, personalized digital tools for managing health data.
- The initiative prioritizes data privacy and security, ensuring that information sharing complies with HIPAA regulations and patient's sensitive health data is protected despite the inclusion of third-party apps not traditionally covered by HIPAA.
- Over 60 companies, including technology firms, providers, insurers, and health data sharing networks, have pledged to participate in the initiative, with a goal of delivering results for the American people in the first quarter of next year.
- In addition to promoting data interoperability and patient-centered care, the initiative encourages the adoption of the CMS Interoperability Framework and increasing the availability of digital health tools, such as allowing patients to retrieve their health data through the network or personal apps and share that information with providers, aiming to improve health outcomes with technology.
