Epic Systems is encouraging hospitals to adopt a new federal network designed for the exchange of medical records.

The prominent sign outside Epic Systems’ headquarters in Verona, Wisconsin, marks the location of a major player in health-care software. Epic Systems, whose technology is utilized by numerous hospitals and clinics nationwide, announced on Friday its intention to transition all its clients to a new government-endorsed medical records exchange by the end of next year. Epic has been instrumental in assisting the federal government in creating the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), which aims to establish a secure legal and technical framework for sharing patient data. TEFCA was launched in December, and Epic aims to have its entire user base integrated into the network by the end of 2025, with all customers committed to the transition a year earlier.

Transferring medical records between various health-care entities is notoriously challenging due to the diverse formats used by different vendors, complicating access to comprehensive patient data. Epic manages records for over 280 million individuals in the U.S., though patients often have records with multiple vendors. Privacy laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), add another layer of complexity by requiring patient consent for third-party access to sensitive information.

Several organizations have attempted to streamline health-care information exchange, but TEFCA aims to unify these efforts. Epic’s extensive reach and long-standing market presence lend significant credibility to TEFCA. Additionally, Carequality, an interoperability network that includes Epic as a member, announced on Friday its plans to align with TEFCA. Organizations joining Carequality undergo vetting and must adhere to specific “permitted purposes” for exchanging patient records, such as the “treatment” purpose, which ensures that data requests are for patient care.

Earlier this year, Carequality faced controversy when Epic reported that some network participants were requesting records for non-treatment purposes. In response, Carequality is revising its policy to match TEFCA’s definition of treatment, which may help prevent future disputes. In a blog post on Friday, Carequality expressed its support for secure health information exchange and its active role in developing and supporting TEFCA.

Epic praised Carequality’s decision to align with TEFCA and adopt the same treatment definition. The company will continue to assist customers in facilitating exchanges through Carequality during the transition to TEFCA. Currently, Carequality connects over 70% of hospitals, more than 50,000 clinics, and over 600,000 care providers. Epic believes that TEFCA represents the best opportunity to engage the remaining 30% of U.S. hospitals and strengthen trust between data exchange networks and care organizations.