Thank you to everyone who joined our hybrid Community of Practice (CoP) meeting on Thursday! Your active participation and invaluable insights continue to strengthen the vibrant and proactive community working towards improved healthcare interoperability in Africa and beyond.

Acknowledging Our Speakers

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the esteemed speakers who enriched the discussion with their expertise and experiences:

• Elise Sweeney Anthony
  Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Executive Director, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• Victor Okrobodo
  Senior Manager of Software Product & Services, eHealth Africa Systems Foundation/EHA Clinics

• Adam Buhari
  Managing Director and Principal Partner, Open NG Technologies

Their contributions brought depth to our conversations on interoperability, sharing global perspectives and local innovations that are shaping the digital health landscape.

Key Takeaways from the Meeting

Insights from EMR Vendors

The EMR vendors who presented during the session provided a comprehensive look at their integration successes, implementation strategies, and the innovative solutions driving interoperability in their systems. These insights gave attendees a clearer understanding of the real-world challenges and opportunities in achieving seamless health information exchange.

TEFCA: Lessons from the U.S.

Elise Sweeney Anthony shared valuable perspectives on the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA)—a landmark initiative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. TEFCA is designed to streamline health data exchange by enabling Health Information Networks (HINs), healthcare providers, health plans, individuals, and other stakeholders to securely access and exchange electronic health information when and where it is needed. The framework emphasizes trust, security, and collaboration, offering a model that African health systems can learn from as we build scalable, interoperable digital health solutions.

A Collaborative Future

This meeting underscored the power of collaboration among stakeholders in digital health. The shared insights and strategies demonstrated how partnerships can address interoperability challenges, build robust health systems, and enhance patient outcomes.

Looking Ahead

At DHIN, we are committed to advancing conversations and facilitating actionable steps toward health system integration and data interoperability. We thank all participants and speakers for contributing to another impactful CoP meeting.We look forward to continued collaboration and invite you to join us at future sessions as we work together to create connected, patient-centered healthcare systems.

For updates, resources, and upcoming events, visit www.dhin-hie.org.