The National Association for Trusted Exchange and CommonWell Health Alliance are teaming up to keep momentum on interoperability, with each becoming a member of the other's organization. Members of the two groups will begin working together immediately.

"The nation's focus is shifting toward increasing a consumer's capabilities to exercise their Patient Right of Access under HIPAA and NATE is excited to continue to collaborate with CommonWell and its membership in realizing this important goal," said Aaron Seib, CEO of the not-for-profit group, which focuses on trusted exchange among organizations differing regulatory environments and exchange preferences.

NATE expertise is to help address the legal, policy and technical barriers that inhibit health information exchange between HIPAA-covered entities and consumers.

"Many opportunities exist and will emerge between CommonWell and NATE that will enable the trustworthy sharing of professionally- and patient-generated health information," said Seib.

[Also: eClinicalWorks, HIMSS among 7 new organizations joining CommonWell Health Alliance]

CommonWell – the interoperability-focused industry association comprising IT vendors such as Cerner, McKesson, Allscripts, athenahealth and Brightree – looks to remove barriers by its members' incorporation of data exchange capabilities into their software.

"CommonWell looks forward to participating in NATE's efforts to encourage the sharing of information between our members and the patients they serve and is eager to welcome NATE's contributions to our work," said Brightree VP Nick Knowlton, CommonWell's membership committee chair.

"Our organizations agree that patients should be at the center of their health care and that their providers can be empowered to deliver care that is informed by secure and authorized access to that patient's data, no matter where care has occurred," he said.

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com

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