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ONC is requesting public comment on a new three-year data collection tied to the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, formalizing the ONC TEFCA feedback collection QHINs proposal through an Aug. 17 Federal Register notice.
What the ONC TEFCA Feedback Collection QHINs Proposal Would Do
The agency wants generic clearance to gather routine customer feedback on service delivery and program performance tied to TEFCA, according to the notice. The framework governs how Qualified Health Information Networks, or QHINs, share electronic health information nationally. ONC oversees a Recognized Coordinating Entity that administers the Common Agreement setting technical and legal ground rules for that exchange.
The Scale of This Proposed Data Collection
The agency estimates 15 QHIN respondents will take part annually, generating roughly seven feedback activities per year and averaging 71 responses per respondent. Data points would cover timeliness, accuracy, courtesy and efficiency of ONC’s service delivery, plus resolution of any issues QHINs raise.
The Burden Estimate Behind This ONC TEFCA Feedback Collection QHINs Request
The collection carries an estimated annual burden of 1,420 hours, or 4,260 hours over three years. This figure gives QHINs and other stakeholders a concrete sense of the administrative time commitment this generic clearance would require across the collection’s full three-year lifespan.
Why This Burden Estimate Matters for Participating Networks
Distributed across an estimated 15 QHIN respondents, this burden translates to roughly 95 hours per network annually, a relatively modest administrative load that suggests ONC designed the feedback mechanism to be lightweight enough not to discourage participation among the networks it depends on for national health information exchange.
The Regulatory Timeline Behind This ONC TEFCA Feedback Collection QHINs Proposal
ONC published an earlier 60-day comment notice on the collection May 11 and received no public comments. Comments on this 30-day notice are due by Sept. 16 through Regulations.gov. Talisha Searcy at HHS is the contact for questions.
Why the Lack of Earlier Comments Is Notable
The absence of any public comments during the initial 60-day notice period suggests limited industry opposition or concern about this specific data collection proposal so far, though the 30-day notice offers stakeholders a final opportunity to weigh in before the clearance is finalized.
The Growing TEFCA Network Behind This ONC TEFCA Feedback Collection QHINs Effort
The move comes as TEFCA participation continues to expand, with more than 1,000 hospitals and health systems now connected through QHINs including Epic’s Epic Nexus. This continued growth in hospitals underscores why standardized performance monitoring has become increasingly important, since the framework’s value as national health information infrastructure depends on consistent, reliable service delivery across a rapidly expanding participant base.
Why Standardized Monitoring Matters at This Scale
With more than 1,000 hospitals and health systems now relying on TEFCA-connected QHINs for health information exchange, even modest service delivery issues affecting timeliness or accuracy could have outsized downstream effects on patient care coordination, making this feedback collection mechanism a meaningful oversight tool as the network continues to scale.
What This ONC TEFCA Feedback Collection QHINs Proposal Means Going Forward
With comments due Sept. 16 and no opposition surfacing during the earlier 60-day comment window, this generic clearance appears likely to proceed toward finalization largely as proposed. Given the relatively modest burden estimate per QHIN, health information networks already connected to TEFCA should expect this feedback mechanism to become a routine, ongoing part of their relationship with ONC once implemented.
What to Watch Going Forward
As the Sept. 16 comment deadline approaches, industry stakeholders including QHINs, hospitals, and health IT vendors will have a final opportunity to weigh in on this proposed feedback collection framework. Given TEFCA’s continued expansion past 1,000 connected hospitals and health systems, this ONC TEFCA feedback collection QHINs mechanism may prove increasingly important for maintaining accountability and service quality as the nationwide health information exchange network continues scaling toward broader adoption.
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