This episode of Quality Matters features highlights from the NCQA Health Innovation Summit panel discussion on data interoperability, held on November 1st in Nashville. Moderated by Arcadia’s Aneesh Chopra, the panel explored how to make health data accessible and usable for improving patient care. Panelists (Laura McCrary of KONZA, Dr. Marc Overhage of Elevance Health and Abdul Shaikh of AWS) emphasize interoperability is critical for quality reporting, care coordination and closing care gaps. Emphasizing trust as the cornerstone of data exchange frameworks such as TEFCA, panelists outline the need for alignment between payers, providers and technology organizations to ensure better health outcomes. 

The panel unpacks technical and operational challenges surrounding interoperability, such as integrating fragmented data sources and transforming raw reports into insight practitioners can use at the point of care. Panelists compare HIEs and QHINs to highways, illustrating how these systems enable cross-border data sharing. But delivering actionable information, rather than overwhelming clinicians with reports, remains a challenge. Solutions such as Bulk FHIR and cloud-based technologies are highlighted as promising ways to help data reach its best, highest use.

The discussion closes with an appeal for greater collaboration and participation in initiatives like the NCQA Bulk FHIR Quality Coalition to test modern quality measures. As Laura McCrary points out, the interoperability challenge isn’t just technological—it’s cultural and contractual. By aligning incentives and fostering trust between stakeholders, health care can evolve from fragmentation to seamless, person-centered care. 

Key Quote: 

"Bringing data together for a particular patient so we have a comprehensive view for clinical care, quality assessment, predictive modeling, whatever it might be–it’s still the golden ring that I'm trying to get to.

We have standards and that's great, and those continue to improve.

It's pretty amazing the volume of data and the number of people that we're able to access and share data between payers, providers, other participants in the healthcare ecosystem."

Marc Overhage, MD

Time Stamps:

(2:55) Data exchange is all about trust.

(4:38) QHINs are the superhighways of health data exchange. HIEs are the on- and off-ramp.

(5:25) QHINs were created to work around geographic limitations of HIEs.

(6:12) QHINs’ challenge is providing information in a way that practitioners can use.

(7:21 ) To understand where data exchange can go wrong, focus on the interfaces between steps.

(9:12) Data exchange agreements often require legal expertise as much as technical expertise.

(11:13) The industry faces a big binary choice about how to organize quality information.

(12:46) Bulk fire and cloud computing are a powerful combination.

(14:31) Join the Bulk FHIR Quality Coalition.

Links:

Bulk FHIR Quality Coalition

Quality Matters Ep: 07

Quality Matters Ep: 08

Connect with Aneesh Chopra

Connect with Laura McCrary

Connect with Marc Overhage

Connect with Abdul Shaikh