Netsmart, whose EHR technology is built primarily for human services and post-acute care, has received designation as a Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). 

The Overland Park, Kans.-based company says it has been at the forefront of interoperability efforts, advocating for improved standards like the sharing of behavioral health and substance use data that meet the needs of providers, clinicians, patients and their families.

As a founding member of the Carequality network, the organization developed the CareConnect interoperability platform, which the company said offers clients a unified system that integrates with the broader healthcare data ecosystem. 

Netsmart has extensive experience in leveraging FHIR technologies and was has deployed 360X closed-loop referral management standards, enabling more efficient care transitions.
"Achieving QHIN designation marks a significant step forward in our commitment to delivering whole-person care,” said Netsmart CEO Mike Valentine, in a statement. “It creates a nationwide on-ramp for interoperability, expanding the types of data and organizations we can collaborate with. This not only enhances seamless data sharing across health systems but also supports our clients’ value-based care and patient outcome goals. We’ve built a simple, standard model to help our clients to participate quickly and effectively, paving the way for a brighter future in healthcare connectivity."

The QHIN designation process is overseen by the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC) and managed by the Sequoia Project as the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE). After thorough technology testing, Netsmart joins the other designated QHIN participants, leveraging several data-sharing purposes across both private and federal sectors.

The other QHINs are CommonWell Health Alliance, eClinical Works, eHealth Exchange, Epic Nexus, Health Gorilla, Kno2, Konza, MedAllies, Surescripts Health Information Network, and Oracle Health Information Network.

David Raths is a Contributing Senior Editor for Healthcare Innovation, focusing on clinical informatics, learning health systems and value-based care transformation. He has been interviewing health system CIOs and CMIOs since 2006.

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