ONC expects to release a draft of its Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement in December, Genevieve Morris, ONC principal deputy told stakeholders at the agency's annual meeting last week, according to FedScoop.
At the meeting, ONC asked stakeholders for feedback on the interoperability guidelines, which would provide information on exchanging EHRs.
"We want to make sure we understand your concerns and your challenges and that we're [meeting] them appropriately," Ms. Morris said, according to FedScoop.
The 21st Century Cures Act charged ONC and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to collaborate on a set of policies that establish a voluntary, secure framework capable of sharing health data across networks.
ONC did not comment on which policies would be included in the framework but did say it was working to create flexible standards that would address emerging technologies.
"We're very mindful of new technology. The standards don't preclude that," ONC Chief Don Rucker, MD, said, according to FedScoop. "We want to adopt the best security and privacy authentication standards that are out there. They will evolve, that's just the nature of the beast."
The agency plans to release a draft of the framework this month with a 45-day public comment period. The final version is expected in late 2018.
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