Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health Information Technology - The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), in collaboration with Docket, Meditech, and a network of expert consultants, proposes a two-year project to advance the adoption of Individual Access Services (IAS) under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). This project responds to the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) call to explore and test innovative technical approaches that strengthen and scale IAS by addressing persistent barriers preventing individuals from securely accessing and using their health data. The initiative will follow a structured four-phase approach: identifying technical and operational barriers, developing and testing non-proprietary solutions, validating those solutions through real-world pilots, and delivering recommendations to inform updates to TEFCA infrastructure, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and the QHIN Technical Framework (QTF). This phased methodology ensures alignment with TEFCA governance, scalability, and stakeholder needs. Key project goals include simplifying identity proofing and authentication, improving patient matching accuracy through privacy-preserving techniques, reducing implementation burdens for IAS Providers, and enhancing the overall usability and trustworthiness of individual health data access across TEFCA. HIMSS and its partners will engage Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs), Participants, Subparticipants, standards organizations, and consumer-facing platforms through interviews, workshops, and a Technical Expert Panel. Open-source solutions will be designed and tested in controlled environments and validated in operational settings using Docket’s consumer platform and MEDITECH’s EHR systems. Anticipated outcomes include validated technical tools, implementation guidance, and policy recommendations to ASTP that support scalable IAS adoption. All deliverables will promote interoperability, privacy, security, and alignment with HIPAA, TEFCA, SOPs, and the QTF. The team brings a proven track record of delivering impactful federal initiatives, including developing real-time data exchange solutions for emergency response through the SANER project and expanding consumer access to immunization records via a CMS-ASTP initiative that integrated SMART Health Links into patient-facing applications.
