Sequoia Project starts forum to delve into interoperability issues

The Sequoia Project is launching a forum on interoperability, inviting experts to identify, prioritize and collaborate on pressing challenges.

Sequoia, which operates a national health information exchange, has data exchange technology in 75 percent of the nation’s hospitals and supports secure exchange of records for more than 120 million patients.

“The pipes to enable health information exchange have been laid by organizations like Carequality, CommonWell, DirectTrust, eHealth Exchange and health information exchange organizations,” says Mariann Yeager, CEO at Sequoia. “However, there are remaining real and perceived barriers to making exchange more effective and seamless—but not for long.”



That is the hope of the new Interoperability Matters Advisory Group, which will assess and prioritize issues that have potential to improve nationwide exchange of healthcare information.

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The advisory group will review the progress of workgroups and their recommendations and then provide feedback. Workgroups then will make their recommendations public to get industry comment from stakeholders.

The advisory group will first focus on the issue of information blocking; the industry is currently awaiting a proposed rule from the HHS Office of the National Coordinator on information blocking.

“Distinguishing legitimate policy differences from information blocking requires deep understanding of complex policy, technical and business issues,” Yeager adds. “Our cooperative will focus on the practical implications of information sharing practices and it will inform information blocking public policy.”

Persons and organizations wanting to have a seat at the table can apply to participate here.