New apps will have access to your health records.

• Epic Systems announced on Thursday that individuals will have the ability to share their health data with preferred apps, allowing them greater control over their medical information.
• The advancement of technology in healthcare is a significant leap forward.
• TEFCA, which outlines the legal and technical requirements for sharing patients' data at scale, has been aided in its establishment by organizations such as Epic.

Soon, patients in the U.S. will have greater ease in accessing their own medical records.

Epic Systems announced on Thursday that individuals will have more direct control over their medical information as they will be able to securely release their health data to different apps they choose to use.

Patients can import their Epic records into health coaching or medication reminder apps by using their Epic login credentials.

The new standard of data-sharing practices in the health-care sector is a major technological advancement, signaling the beginning of a new era.

The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA, is being established by the federal government with the help of organizations such as Epic. Launched in December, Epic aims to resolve the legal and technical requirements for sharing patients' data on a large scale.

In the U.S., health-care data has traditionally been fragmented and challenging to transfer between different entities. Clinics, hospitals, and health systems often store their information in various formats across numerous vendors, with no nationwide system in place for securely transporting it. As a result, patients' medical records may not always be transferred when they move to a new state or visit a new hospital.

To tackle the issue, several private sector companies and information exchange networks have emerged. However, none of them have fully resolved it on their own. TEFCA aims to unite these diverse stakeholders.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services oversees TEFCA, which patients can think of as a cellphone for their health information.

If one person uses Verizon, another uses AT&T, and a third uses T-Mobile, they can still communicate with each other. Similarly, TEFCA applies to all carriers.

Tripathi stated in an interview with CNBC that the concept was, "We should have a user experience that seamlessly connects to every network, regardless of location or system being used."

'It's going to be revolutionary'

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.

Currently, seven QHINs, including Epic, are operational within TEFCA, with a few others close to completion. To provide context on the magnitude of TEFCA's requirements, Tripathi stated that Epic's network handles over 10 million to 12 million data transactions daily.

He emphasized that the objective was to link existing operational networks.

To be eligible for TEFCA, QHINs must support six distinct "exchange purposes," which are the reasons why an organization can request health data. These purposes include treatment, payment, health-care operations, public health, government benefits determination, and individual access services.

TEFCA aims to avoid disagreements, such as those that have occurred this year over the definition of "treatment," by introducing other approved exchange pathways.

TEFCA's new exchange purpose, individual access services, enables individuals to easily request and consolidate all their records into one app. This allows patients to view their complete medical history, including doctor visits and hospital stays, in one place, as long as all vendors are connected to TEFCA.

"According to Steve Yaskin, CEO of Health Gorilla, a QHIN within TEFCA, the healthcare industry is poised to revolutionize over the next few years by utilizing data to benefit the industry. Just like other industries such as banking and telcos, healthcare is deeply rooted in understanding data."

Epic's announcement on Thursday means they are now ready to support the individual access services pathway for TEFCA, although many QHINs are still working to set up all six exchange purposes.

Rob Klootwyk, Epic's director of interoperability, stated that implementing individual access took time due to the need for careful consideration. He emphasized that TEFCA must establish guidelines to ensure patient authentication, education on data release, and accountability of apps to consumers.

Now, those questions have been answered, he said.

According to Klootwyk, our community and we believe that the pieces are now aligned and TEFCA is the appropriate path forward.

When a patient attempts to share their Epic data with an app, they will receive a patient education screen that explains the information they are disclosing and confirms their comfort level with the decision, as stated by Matt Doyle, a software developer on Epic's interoperability team.

While HIPAA protects patient data, not all apps comply with the law.

HHS has decided that apps can participate in TEFCA on a voluntary basis, as long as they adhere to HIPAA regulations, even if they are not legally obligated to do so. This allows QHINs like Epic to inform users about an app's HIPAA status, whether it is part of the federally endorsed data exchange network or not.

Doyle advised CNBC, "We say, 'Hey, we're not saying they're a bad group, we just don't know what their policies are around these. You should make sure that you're educated and informed before you choose to share this.'"

TEFCA aims to establish the baseline of trust necessary for individuals to use apps to support their care or easily view their information, according to Klootwyk.

The deployment of new features for Epic customers will take approximately two weeks, but it may take longer for individual access services to become widely used nationwide.

The QHINs and the broader market need to adopt TEFCA's framework, as stated by Tripathi of HHS.

Tripathi stated that the next crucial step for patients to manage their health care is through an application of their preference to access their own information.