The Sequoia Project’s Data Usability Workgroup Releases Implementation Guide Draft Version 2.0 for Public Feedback

VIENNA, Va., July 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sequoia Project, a non-profit and trusted advocate for nationwide health information exchange, today announced the release of the draft Data Usability Workgroup Implementation Guide, Version 2 and is seeking public feedback through Friday, Aug. 23, 2024.

The implementation guide covers the identified priority use cases that can be readily adopted within health information exchange vendors, implementers, networks, governance frameworks, and testing programs. Some key changes in this version include:

• Added guidance for receiving systems in addition to sending systems
• Advancing the baseline requirements from USCDI V1 (Problem, Allergy, Medications, Immunizations ONLY) to all data classes within USCDI V3
• Expanded guidance to be technology agnostic with added requirements for HL7® FHIR®, HL7 v2.x and HL7 C-CDA across the topic categories
• Added an additional topic category for laboratory

“We value the leadership from our co-chairs and the input received from the workgroup members and Laboratory Tiger Team that informed the edits and additions to this second public comment version of the implementation guide,” said Didi Davis, vice president of Informatics, Conformance & Interoperability of The Sequoia Project. “Laboratory guidance is the most significant addition to this implementation guide that expands requirements for all the topic categories that will help enable improvements to the usability of data exchanged today to benefit the public good.”

The Data Usability Workgroup (DUWG), which is part of The Sequoia Project’s Interoperability Matters initiative, was launched in October 2020 to develop specific and pragmatic implementation guidance on clinical content for healthcare stakeholders to facilitate health information exchange. Stakeholders from all healthcare and interoperability industries participate in the DUWG to ensure the development of comprehensive and inclusive guidance that will improve usability of data among healthcare communities and networks. The first version of the implementation guide was published in December of 2022 after collecting public feedback.

“A lot of hard work and collaboration went into the updates made in the new version of the implementation guide, and we look forward to the feedback from industry colleagues and the public,” said William Gregg, MD, vice president, clinical data and interoperability, at HCA Healthcare and co-chair of the Data Usability Workgroup.

“The Data Usability Workgroup has been working tirelessly to continue to improve the implementation guide and continue to identify and solve barriers to improving data usability,” said Adam Davis, MD, physician informaticist at Sutter Health and co-chair of Data Usability Workgroup. We are thrilled to be moving forward to the next level.”

The draft Data Usability Workgroup Implementation Guide Version 2.0 is developed in coordination with related standards development organizations and industry initiatives, including the Data Usability Taking Root Movement Implementers and Supporters focused on deploying Version 1.0 guidance in the real world. The DUWG is seeking feedback from the public on this guide through Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. You can view the implementation guide and submit feedback via the online form here.

Learn more about the DUWG and other Interoperability Matters workgroups at https://sequoiaproject.org/interoperability-matters/.

About The Sequoia Project 
The Sequoia Project is a non-profit, 501c3, public-private collaborative chartered to advance implementation of secure, interoperable nationwide health information exchange. The Sequoia Project focuses on solving real-world interoperability challenges and brings together public and private stakeholders in forums, such as the Interoperability Matters cooperative, to overcome barriers. The Sequoia Project is the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), for which it will develop, implement and maintain TEFCA’s Common Agreement component and operationalize the Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) designation and monitoring process. For more information about The Sequoia Project and its initiatives, visit www.sequoiaproject.org. Follow The Sequoia Project on Twitter: @SequoiaProject.