Leading edge acceleration projects (leap) in health information technology - the healthcare information and management systems society (himss), in collaboration with docket, meditech, and a network of…

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology awarded the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) a $1,999,536 cooperative agreement on September 22, 2025, under the Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health Information Technology program (CFDA 93.345).

HIMSS, in collaboration with Docket and Meditech and a network of expert consultants, will execute a two-year project to advance adoption of Individual Access Services (IAS) under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). The project follows a four-phase structured approach: identifying technical and operational barriers to IAS adoption, developing and testing non-proprietary solutions, validating solutions through real-world pilots, and delivering recommendations to inform updates to TEFCA infrastructure, standard operating procedures, and the QHIN Technical Framework.

Key deliverables include validated technical tools addressing simplified identity proofing and authentication, improved patient matching through privacy-preserving techniques, and reduced implementation burdens for IAS providers. Open-source solutions will be designed and tested in controlled environments using Docket's consumer platform and Meditech's EHR systems, then validated in operational settings. HIMSS will engage Qualified Health Information Networks, standards organizations, and consumer-facing platforms through interviews, workshops, and a technical expert panel. Final deliverables will include implementation guidance and policy recommendations to inform scalable IAS adoption across TEFCA.

Period of performance runs through September 21, 2030. Place of performance is Illinois.

Leading edge acceleration projects (leap) in health information technology - the healthcare information and management systems society (himss), in collaboration with docket, meditech, and a network of expert consultants, proposes a two-year project to advance the adoption of individual access services (IAS) under the trusted exchange framework and common agreement (tefca). This project responds to the assistant secretary for technology policy (astp) call to explore and test innovative technical approaches that strengthen and scale IAS by addressing persistent barriers preventing individuals from securely accessing and using their health data. The initiative will follow a structured four-phase approach: identifying technical and operational barriers, developing and testing non-proprietary solutions, validating those solutions through real-world pilots, and delivering recommendations to inform updates to tefca infrastructure, standard operating procedures (sops), and the qhin technical framework (QTF). This phased methodology ensures alignment with tefca governance, scalability, and stakeholder needs. Key project goals include simplifying identity proofing and authentication, improving patient matching accuracy through privacy-preserving techniques, reducing implementation burdens for IAS providers, and enhancing the overall usability and trustworthiness of individual health data access across tefca. Himss and its partners will engage qualified health information networks (qhins), participants, subparticipants, standards organizations, and consumer-facing platforms through interviews, workshops, and a technical expert panel. Open-source solutions will be designed and tested in controlled environments and validated in operational settings using docket's consumer platform and meditech's EHR systems. Anticipated outcomes include validated technical tools, implementation guidance, and policy recommendations to astp that support scalable IAS adoption. All deliverables will promote interoperability, privacy, security, and alignment with hipaa, tefca, sops, and the QTF. The team brings a proven track record of delivering impactful federal initiatives, including developing real-time data exchange solutions for emergency response through the saner project and expanding consumer access to immunization records via a CMS-astp initiative that integrated smart health links into patient-facing applications.