Hello, Informatics Community! I wanted to let you know that APHL submitted comments in response to a CMS/ASTP Request for Information entitled "Digital Health Technology Ecosystem." This RFI, our response, and APHL's other informatics policy-related work is summarized on the Policy Engagement Confluence page, which should be accessible to anyone that is part of this ColLABorate space.
The RFI sought input from all interested parties on 26-pages of questions. Several questions try to gauge the effectiveness of TEFCA, HIEs, USCDI, and health IT certification. APHL and our TEFCA partner, the eHealth Exchange QHIN, responded jointly to this RFI to make two key points: 1) TEFCA has shown promise to encourage more interoperable data exchange; and 2) the AIMS Platform serves as a critical intermediary for public health data exchange, both through TEFCA and non-TEFCA channels, and AIMS is positioned to support additional TEFCA use cases as they are finalized. CMS and ASTP should leverage existing successful solutions as part of the future health technology ecosystem.
APHL also endorsed JPHIT's separate response to this RFI. JPHIT's statement makes two key points: 1) It is critical that CMS & ASTP include public health leadership in the visioning of any health technology ecosystem; 2) Investments in public health infrastructure are essential to making public health a viable data exchange partner in this health technology ecosystem. JPHIT offered several specific examples of where this investment in public health has yielded early TEFCA and FHIR success stories (including eCR on AIMS via TEFCA).
The APHL and JPHIT response letters are available through the Federal Register portal and on Policy Engagement Confluence page.
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Melanie Kourbage
Lead Specialist, Informatics
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Bethesda MD
(240) 485-2747
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