HealthEx is accelerating progress toward a more connected healthcare ecosystem by enabling patients to securely access and share their medical data across systems under TEFCA. This shift marks a pivotal move toward interoperability—transforming scattered health records into a unified, patient-controlled view that supports faster care decisions, early intervention, and more precise treatments.
While data integration raises valid concerns around privacy, consent, and information security, the benefits of collaboration and access are increasingly clear. Shared data reduces duplication, strengthens diagnosis accuracy, supports research, and empowers patients to play an active role in their own health journey.
HealthEx’s approach—anchored in auditable consent and transparent governance—demonstrates that privacy and progress can coexist. Connecting data sources responsibly doesn’t weaken patient rights; it enhances them by turning information into insight and transforming healthcare from reactive to proactive.
This aligns closely with the Joep Lange Institute’s view of giving citizens full control of their health and social data. We advocate for individuals having access to all their data and relative insights, as well as putting them in control to share their full health journey with selected care providers.
The connected future is not without risk—but it’s far riskier to stay disconnected.
About TEFCA:
The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™, also known as TEFCA™, outlines a common set of principles, terms, and conditions to support the development of a Common Agreement that helps enable the nationwide exchange of electronic health information (EHI) across disparate health information networks (HINs). The TEFCA is designed to scale EHI exchange nationwide and help ensure that HINs, health care providers, health plans, individuals, and many more stakeholders have secure access to their electronic health information when and where it is needed.
