Epic and other healthcare providers are considering joining Oracle in a new federal medical record network.

• Oracle declared on Monday its intention to become part of a federally-supported medical information exchange network.
• The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement aims to standardize legal and technical requirements for sharing patients' data on a large scale.
• TEFCA has attracted the interest of Oracle, the latest major electronic health record vendor, along with competitors such as Epic Systems.

On Monday, it was announced that the clinic intends to become part of a new federally-supported medical network, which will facilitate the sharing of patients' data among clinics, hospitals, and insurance companies.

In December, the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) network was launched. Recently, Oracle, which acquired Cerner for $28 billion in 2022, has become the latest major vendor to support TEFCA, following in the footsteps of its chief rival Epic Systems.

Although Oracle must be approved to join TEFCA, its interest in doing so strengthens the network's credibility and increases the likelihood of TEFCA establishing a new standard for data-sharing practices in the health-care industry.

Accessing all relevant patient data is challenging for doctors and other providers due to the variety of formats and vendors storing health-care data.

"Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager of Oracle Health and Life Sciences, stated in an interview with CNBC that their next step is a natural progression and they do not have a reputation for information blocking."

Epic has been criticized for slow progress in interoperability efforts, and Oracle has not shied away from voicing its concerns. In a May blog post, Oracle EVP Ken Glueck stated, "It is widely recognized that Epic's CEO Judy Faulkner is the main hindrance to achieving EHR interoperability."

Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

TEFCA aims to unite various companies and organizations on a national level to standardize the legal and technical requirements for sharing patients' data in health-care information exchange.

Qualified health information networks (QHINs) are the main groups that participate in health-data exchanges through TEFCA. These networks voluntarily participate and undergo a two-step approval process to ensure they are eligible and have the necessary technical infrastructure.

Oracle announced on Monday that it plans to start the process of becoming a QHIN. Currently, there are seven QHINs, including Epic, operating within TEFCA.