Health data exchange build starts this summer

By early July, the Office of the National Coordinator will announce the winners of 11 contracts for developing a health information exchange framework based on a model originated by federal homeland security agencies for sharing sensitive information over the Internet.

The National Information Exchange Model, or NIEM, is a technical approach to information sharing that federal agencies developed during the last decade, prompted by the need to share homeland security information quickly and securely. It is based on XML standards. Doug Fridsma, acting director of ONC's Office of Standards and Interoperability, told members of the Health IT Standards Committee Wednesday that vendors have been chosen for eight of the 11 contracts, but none will be announced until all 11 are chosen.