Look Who Embodies Data Interoperability’s Link to Quality

January 5, 2024 · Andy Reynolds

Recognition that KONZA National Network received at the December 2023 annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) confirms good things are happening in the digitalization of quality measurement.

CMS leaders highlighted that KONZA is a Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN^TM) under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA^SM).

That means KONZA is one of the first five QHINs in the US.

The prestigious QHIN designation:

• Shows KONZA’s commitment to interoperability, enabling seamless and secure health data exchange across health care systems.
• Underscores KONZA’s impressive growth. They started in Kansas and now support 15 million patients across 9 states.

The KONZA-Quality Connection

NCQA staff who’ve had the chance to work with KONZA know the organization as an example of the “network of networks” strategy QHIN entails.

That strategy grants access to high-quality, longitudinal patient data to people who need insight into their own care or their patients’ care. Giving the right people the right data at the right time helps make care better, more efficient and smarter.

We at NCQA also know KONZA as a trailblazer in clinical information-sharing. The group:

• Earned Validated Data Stream status as part of our Data Aggregator Validation program.
• Stepped up to be an early adopter of our Digital Content Services.

KONZA CEO Laura McCrary explains: “Our aim in joining these NCQA programs is to be the go-to resource for defining, evaluating, and growing trust in data quality across all domains where health care data is generated, exchanged or utilized.”

Those NCQA programs help KONZA align with:

• The CMS Digital Quality Measurement Strategic Roadmap.
• NCQA’s vision of digitalizing quality measurement to support interoperability.

Confronting the Wicked Problem

McCrary attributes KONZA’s rapid growth to their willingness to tackle the “wicked problem” in health care—data quality.

“Data quality is one of the most intractable problems that affects all users of health care data,” she says.

• Providers need confidence in data from third-party systems to make clinical decisions.
• Patients need to know their data will move smoothly and accurately across systems.

“We are dealing with real people that have real lives. This is our responsibility,” she says.

The Bottom Line: Advancing Digital Transformation

Their emphasis on interoperability and willingness to collaborate—with many people and groups across state lines—makes KONZA an ally and inspiration in how we’re building next-generation quality measures.

What can you do to emulate KONZA’s success and leadership?

• Learn more about Data Aggregator Validation.
• Contact us about becoming an early adopter of Digital Content Services.
• Or watch this webinar to learn what the Digital Content Services early adopters opportunity entails.