Why a Former ONC Chief Thinks TEFCA Is Inherently Flawed

Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), a nationwide health information exchange network, launched after a decade's planning by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The initiative aims for secure, seamless data exchange and increased patient healthcare data access. However, Don Rucker, former ONC chief, criticizes the initiative's archaic data exchange protocol could deter use and impede interoperability. He suggests TEFCA should be modernized to handle computable data for improved functionality. Despite ONC's promise to support modern APIs by 2024, Rucker remains skeptical without concrete technical plans.

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