Federal Health Architecture (FHA)
What is Federal Health Architecture (FHA)?
The Federal Health Architecture (FHA) is an e-government initiative overseen by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It was created to coordinate health IT activities among federal agencies that provide health and healthcare services to citizens.
Responsibilities of the FHA include:
- Ensuring the seamless exchange of health data among federal agencies and with state, local, or tribal governments and private-sector partners.
- Supporting federal efforts to implement standardized health IT (HIT) systems and measuring their adoption.
- Guiding federal agencies on the best practices for managing and maintaining health IT investments.
What are the benefits of the FHA?
The FHA seeks to build a federal health IT environment that is interoperable with private sector systems, enhances point-of-service care, increases efficiency, and improves overall health outcomes in the U.S. population.
At its core, the FHA’s activities focus on improving patient access to care, enhancing the quality of care, and reducing healthcare costs, all through a coordinated federal approach and an emphasis on enhanced interoperability.