Months after the Texas Health Services Authority (THSA) publicized its use of the Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) Common Security Framework (CSF), THSA and the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) announced a public review period for the TX-HIE accreditation program.
The program will aim at augmenting health information exchange (HIE) privacy, security, and interoperability. According to the release, the criteria review period will last 60 days, from March 24, 2014 to May 23, 2014, and is open to feedback in the form of opinions, comments and suggestions from all interested parties on the necessity, appropriateness and workability of the criteria proposed for adoption. Following the public comment period, the program will launch in June 2014.
The TX-HIE accreditation program will certify qualified Texas HIE participants to prove that they are properly securing and managing protected health information (PHI). To accomplish that goal, EHNAC and THSA will review the accredited HIEs’ technical performances, business processes, resource management and other relevant information to see to it that they are interoperable with state and federal programs. Furthermore, they will ensure that these HIEs provide the private, secure and proper exchange of health information in accordance with established laws and public policy.
“Working with the Texas Health Services Authority on this important initiative in the State of Texas has enabled us to scale our general HIE accreditation model to the specific needs and legal requirements at the state level in addition to our existing national HIE program,” says Lee Barrett, executive director, EHNAC. “Ultimately, we are confident that this accreditation model will infuse trust, security and sustainability to the HIE efforts in Texas and across the U.S.”
After the 60-day public comment period, the state-wide HIE accreditation program will be established and EHNAC and THSA executives will participate in a public informational webinar. “Increasing confidence and trust in organizations involved in exchanging and maintaining electronic health information will not only foster greater participation in HIEs, but also support sustainability of HIE efforts in Texas and across the United States,” says Tony Gilman, chief executive officer, Texas Health Services Authority.