The Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability has launched the CSRI Health Data Utility Maturity Model. It aims to address public health challenges such as maternal health disparities and the opioid use disorder epidemic. The model offers a standardized tool to help healthcare stakeholders communicate effectively about health data utilities, as well as provide strategic guidance for state health information exchange. The CSRI suggests that each state should have a statewide health data utility to improve the nation’s health and well-being. Founding CSRI health data organizations include CRISP, CyncHealth, and Manifest MedEx.
The Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI) is a group of the largest nonprofit health data organizations in the United States. It recently launched the CSRI Health Data Utility Maturity Model at the HIMSS23 conference and exhibition. The model is designed to provide a tiered framework for the characteristics and services of a health data utility that can be used by healthcare stakeholders, including state governments, to address pressing public health challenges.
The CSRI HDU Maturity Model is a standardized tool that will help the healthcare industry communicate more effectively about health data utilities with existing health data organizations and other stakeholders. It will also provide strategic guidance to inform planning and strategic decision-making for the future of state health information exchange.
The CSRI aims to address some of the most significant public health challenges facing states across the country, including maternal health disparities, the opioid use disorder epidemic, and infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19. Health data utilities within states can provide a range of services, including clinical data exchange, electronic health record integrations, public health services, claims exchange, research and academic services, and quality and public health reporting certification.
Morgan Honea, CSRI president, and executive vice president of Denver-based Contexture stated that the United States is a global technology leader, but our nation’s health and policy establishment has been unable to fully realize the return on investments in our health IT infrastructure to improve the health and well-being of our communities. Honea further said that each state should have a statewide health data utility to bridge this gap.
John Kansky, CSRI board officer and president and CEO of the Indianapolis-based Indiana Health Information Exchange agreed, stating that while most states have organizations and assets that help meet health data needs, all have work to do and gaps to fill. He expressed hope that this maturity model would help guide all states toward a unified health data utility, regardless of their starting point.
Founding CSRI health data organizations also include Baltimore-based CRISP, Omaha-based CyncHealth, and Emeryville, California-based Manifest MedEx. By establishing a standard framework for health data utilities, the CSRI and its member organizations hope to make significant strides in addressing public health challenges across the United States.