By Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, Chief Strategy Officer, DirectTrust
LinkedIn: Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, MBA, CHPC, CHTS
LinkedIn: DirectTrust
While there’s been quite a bit of uncertainty over the past six months regarding the government’s role in supporting and underwriting health data exchange, there’s also been an unwavering commitment from across the industry to forge ahead. Recently, Scott Stuewe, our President and CEO, and I represented DirectTrust in Washington, D.C. alongside fellow leaders, where we gained clarity around the future of our industry under this Administration, and how we may collectively respond. While we shouldn’t expect “business as usual,” an aligned commitment from the federal government and industry stakeholders is clear: it’s time to keep building, and the events from the past week support this theme.
Event #1: The CMS/ASTP RFI Listening Session
If you were caught off guard by the recent “Health Tech Ecosystem” Request for Information (RFI) from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP), you weren’t alone. Still, in the document, there are nods to health technology developments and policies that were not surprising. Keeping the industry on their toes, CMS hosted an in-person, invite-only listening session to provide feedback on the topics in the RFI.
During the listening session, we gained perspective on the role of government in our industry moving forward. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Markary, and newly appointed ASTP Dr. Thomas Keane were all present with remarks. The star of the show, however, was Amy Gleason, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Administrator, Strategic Advisor to HHS/CMS, and someone who is familiar to this industry for her commitment to improvement. Kennedy addressed how rare it is to get all of these people in the same room – a clear nod to the importance of this occasion – and spoke with great deference to Amy and her vision.
The comments from these speakers centered around the belief that change is needed, and the current trajectory of American healthcare is not sustainable. Additionally, there were key comments about the need to “reorient the market” and to work closely with stakeholders while HHS establishes the guardrails for industry competition. Of note, Gleason said, “We’re not here to rehash the interoperability conversation; we’re here to finish it… We’ve spent years building the plumbing, it’s time to turn on the water and drink.”
After the key speakers and panels, it was clear that this is personal for many, and there will be a continued investment in improving American healthcare and the information exchange within and around it. The format of the day – a mix of panels and interactive and participatory listening sessions – worked well. The first session I attended illustrated the commitment of CMS to the power and necessity of a quality national directory. After all, they are key to unleashing meaningful information exchange. When CMS announced five commitments in the morning, it wasn’t surprising to me that building a national directory was named first. From participating in the listening session, and from our own experience at DirectTrust with the Aggregated Directory, it’s clear that this is a multifaceted issue. I look forward to CMS’ continued observation and partnership with organizations who have experience in this space.
The second session I attended discussed health data and networks, illustrating the industry’s widespread passion and commitment to solving tough problems. However, a lot of agreement and disagreement in this space remains, creating vast opinions on our next steps. It will be interesting to see where the government positions itself in these efforts.
One thing is for sure: The 30-day comment period is a sign that the government is ready to get feedback, respond, and act quickly. DirectTrust will be submitting comments to the RFI, and we encourage our peers and partners to do the same.
Event #2: National Health Data Week
Another reason we were in D.C. last week was to celebrate National Health Data Week, hosted by our partners and friends at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). As a long-time AHIMA member and credential holder, I have always appreciated their approach and dedication to advocacy, and this week was no exception. The signature event of the week was a Congressional Reception in the Rayburn House Office Building, featuring tabletops from associations like DirectTrust, our friends at Civitas Networks for Health, and several technology vendors like our member Oracle Health. This meet-and-greet event allowed congressional and agency staff members to connect with different entities and participate in demonstrations explaining how they can support the health technology ecosystem. Overall, this in-person event, accompanied by a strong social media campaign, created a great educational opportunity about the importance of high-quality health data and the professionals who help manage it. Thank you to AHIMA for continuing to lead the charge here!
Event #3: Capitol Hill Meetings
Our third reason for visiting D.C. was to partake in several meetings with congressional staff. The meetings paralleled DirectTrust’s two primary focus areas for building trust in health technology: secure, scalable, and identity-verified communication – especially for healthcare – and the importance of independent accreditation of health technology.
One of our meetings focused on health data interoperability – specifically for veterans – and care coordination between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and community care providers. As part of the Elizabeth Dole Veterans Benefits Act, this has become an additional area of interest for DirectTrust. Since Direct Secure Messaging is available in every certified EHR, and is the favored means for interoperable referrals and care coordination, it makes sense that it is included in the Act to support veterans and their care. We look forward to convening our members and community to further support the goals of this Act.
Another meeting focused on the importance of cybersecurity and its evolving landscape. As a health technology accrediting body, we have the opportunity to work with many different types of organizations to address their challenges and concerns and communicate those opportunities on a national level. One primary concern we hear frequently is the cost to implement certain changes and the need for incentives, like a safe harbor, or funding to help offset those costs. With the rising number of cyberattacks and breaches, this topic is top of mind for many organizations, which is why it will also be a key focus at our upcoming annual conference in August.
Communities Creating Change
Change is happening, and will continue as we pursue advancements to quality health data exchange and improved care outcomes. But once again, I left the Capital heartened by the diverse communities dedicated to the many facets of this work (can I get a “#TeamInterop!”?). While we wait to see how the government may (or may not) take on the future of health data, we are leaning into our existing communities to lead the way and create lasting change.
Rest assured, these communities (like DirectTrust) are here and welcoming of industry participants hoping to shape the future. Communities are our key to creating change.
This article was originally published on the DirectTrust blog and is republished here with permission.