Epic Nexus, a TEFCA™ Qualified Health Information Network, has connected 625 hospitals since joining the framework in December 2023.
TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement) is a nationwide framework for secure medical records exchange. It was authorized under the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act as part of congressional efforts to establish universal interoperability.
“TEFCA helps MetroHealth, and other health systems improve patient care nationwide by providing access to a larger breadth and depth of patient electronic health information for a more holistic understanding of a patient,” said David Kaelber, MD, PhD, MPH, Chief Health Informatics Officer of the MetroHealth System. “It is estimated that before TEFCA, 30% of U.S. hospitals were not able to exchange electronic health information. TEFCA provides a universal on-ramp for those organizations, many in rural and underserved communities, to connect.”
TEFCA support is part of Epic’s years-long effort to expand interoperability so that people’s medical data is available where and when needed. Epic built the first Electronic Health Record-based interoperability network and has partnered with others to create nationwide exchange frameworks including TEFCA and Carequality. Today, 100% of U.S. health systems that use Epic are interoperable, helping improve care coordination and clinical outcomes for millions of people.
“Epic’s customers are connecting quickly with TEFCA, and we expect the process to be complete by the end of 2025,” said Rob Klootwyk, Director of Interoperability at Epic.
Epic is a global healthcare software company that helps people get well, helps people stay well, and helps future generations be healthier. Founded in a basement in 1979 with three half-time employees, Epic is now the leading EHR software developer in the United States. Epic supports healthcare organizations in 16 countries, with more than 3,700 hospitals using Epic and over 190 million patients using Epic’s MyChart patient portal to manage their care online.
