Health systems using Epic are the first in the U.S. to begin sharing patient records with the Social Security Administration through a new federal interoperability framework.
The connection is enabled through the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA, a federally backed network designed to standardize nationwide health data exchange. By allowing records to be sent electronically to the Social Security Administration, health systems can help accelerate a process that has traditionally relied on manual documentation requests.
According to an April 8 news release from Epic, the streamlined exchange can help the Social Security Administration make disability determinations up to 50% faster, potentially reducing delays for patients while easing operational strain on provider organizations.
The first wave of participating health systems includes AltaMed in Los Angeles; Citizen Potawatomi Nation Health Services in Shawnee, Okla.; Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue, Wash.; Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, Okla.; and Valleywise Health in Phoenix.
Epic said the TEFCA connection has already expanded participation, linking an additional 13 hospitals and 374 clinics to the Social Security Administration, with further growth expected.
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