Frequently Asked Questions

Carequality Announces Lee Barrett as New Executive Director

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Carequality Questions, Answered

We know you may have questions about Carequality, so we’ve put together a list of the most frequently asked questions about us. Should you not find the answer to the question you have then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

1

Overview

What is Carequality?

Carequality, a 501c3 non-profit, is a national-level, consensus-built, interoperability framework that provides a set of policies and technical rules that outline how to share information across health information networks and service platforms. Carequality supports secure access to health information across diverse networks, including those operated by electronic health record vendors, record locator service providers, health information exchanges, and others. The connectivity is governed by technical and policy agreements developed and maintained by a broad group of industry and government stakeholders.

How are The Sequoia Project and Carequality connected?

Carequality was founded as an initiative of The Sequoia Project in 2014. The non-profit launched and fostered Carequality’s growth to ensure it was a self-sustaining organization. In 2018, Carequality became an independent, 501c3 organization with its own governance and board of directors.

How does Carequality actually work?

Disparate health information networks, such as EHR vendors, HIEs, and payers, enable providers and others to securely exchange patient data across different platforms, regardless of their technology vendor, using a standardized legal and technical framework. The Carequality Interoperability Framework is a collection of documents that are used to operationalize data sharing and can be found here: https://carequality.org/resources/

A Carequality Implementer is a health data sharing network or service platform that has agreed to and implemented the Carequality Interoperability Framework, connecting its customers and members to those of other networks that also have implemented the framework.

A Carequality Connection is an organization that participates in exchange activities via Carequality through a Carequality Implementer. One example would be a health system that participates via its EHR vendor, who is an Implementer.

Is Carequality aligned with the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ASTP) Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA)?

Carequality is actively aligning policies and technical requirements with the federal TEFCA framework as appropriate. Our goal is to enable our Implementers and Connections to expand their reach and seamlessly participate in a wider ecosystem of data exchange.

2

Participating in Carequality

Who participates in the Carequality framework?

Patients can search to see if the hospitals/practices they have visited are participating in the Carequality Framework by searching our active sites page here: Active Sites (Search) – New – Carequality If the hospital/practice does not come up in the search they are most likely not connected to the Framework and are not sharing your patient information through the Carequality Framework.

How can I join Carequality?

There are lots of ways to participate in Carequality’s work. Anyone may volunteer in the Carequality work groups and committees, to help with the development and maintenance of the Carequality Interoperability Framework. We have found that most who ask about joining Carequality, however, are seeking to participate in exchange activities via Carequality. HIEs, technology vendors, service providers, and others seeking to provide connectivity for their customers/members can reach out to us at admin@carequality.org, to learn more about becoming an Implementer and whether that role is a good fit for their organization.

How do I become a Carequality Implementer?

IEs, technology vendors, service providers, and others seeking to provide connectivity for their customers/members can reach out to us at admin@carequality.org, to learn more about becoming an Implementer and whether that role is a good fit for their organization.

Is there any cost tied to participation?

Carequality’s Implementer fees depend on a number of factors including your organization’s size, as indicated by annual revenue, and the types of exchange in which you participate (e.g. document exchange vs. case reporting vs. FHIR-based exchange). Provider organizations, and any other non-Implementer participants, do not pay anything to Carequality. Your Implementer may charge you specifically for Carequality participation or may include Carequality participation in a larger product/service bundle. Please contact your Implementer for specific pricing details.

3

Privacy

Does Carequality have my health information?

No, Carequality does not directly hold or store your health information. Your information stays with your providers but becomes accessible to others via the framework when appropriately requested. Carequality provides a set of policies and technical rules that that allows your authorized healthcare providers (EHR vendors, hospitals, HIEs) to securely exchange your data with each other.

How do I restrict access to my health information?

The individual provider organizations you see (hospitals, practices, etc.) are the organizations that collect your health information and may share it with other provider organizations. These organizations are required to follow applicable law (including HIPAA), which governs how a patient’s information can and cannot be used and disclosed.

If you have questions about restricting the use and disclosure of your patient information, reach out to the individual provider organizations (hospitals/practices) that may have your information on file. Your healthcare provider organizations and health plans must give you a notice, often called the Notice of Privacy Practices, or similar document, that outlines how they may use and share your information, when your permission is necessary, and your privacy rights. Each provider should also have a process for patients to request restrictions on how their patient information is used and disclosed.

Since Carequality does not have any access to patient information, you must make this request of the individual provider organizations.

Carequality is not able to determine where patient information is held, so please check with your frequent healthcare provider for their policies.

The sharing of information leveraging the Carequality Framework is between the two organizations (Requester and Receiver) that participate in the Exchange. Carequality is not an intermediary.

What are the default opt-in/opt-out settings for Carequality participants?

Carequality is a framework that is voluntarily adopted by provider organizations to facilitate the sharing of information needed for treatment. Given that each organization may have its own set of Privacy Practices, as permitted by applicable law, there is not a universal patient optout form administered by Carequality. You may want to call your provider organization about opting out of exchange.

4

Disputes and Complaints

What does Carequality do when a concern about another Implementer or Connection is brought to the staff?

Carequality has a defined, independent, and non-biased Dispute Resolution Process led by our Steering Committee to address conflicts, potential violations, and differences in interpretation of our requirements between framework Implementers and Connections.

Who administers and is accountable for the framework?

The administration of the Carequality framework is led by the elected Steering Committee that directs the activities of Carequality staff.

Who Uses Carequality to Share Health Data?

Hundreds of thousands of physicians use Carequality to share health data. Find Carequality-enabled providers near you.