Kantara and EHNAC team up to further data exchange

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (ENHAC) and the Kantara Initiative (Kantara) are teaming up to further industry adoption of trusted information sharing and identity systems in healthcare, according to an Aug. 20 announcement. Their shared goal is minimizing the development of silos in non-standard and unrelated identity vetting processes and documentation.

Areas of mutual recognition may include registration authority at the user level, organizational trust through best practices and operations of identity federations, according to the announcement.

EHNAC’s partnership with DirectTrust.org and their joint development of the Direct Trusted Agent Accreditation Program (DTAAP) spurred this most recent collaboration with the Kantara Initiative, according to the announcement. The Kantara Initiative operates identity assurance programs to verify trusted credential service, identity proofing and credential management providers.

“There is a natural and complementary synergy within the Direct, EHNAC and Kantara Initiative programs,” Joni Brennan, executive director, Kantara Initiative, said in a statement. “Where DTAAP focuses on trusted information exchange in a safe and interoperable environment, Kantara Initiative focuses on trusted credential services that issue to end-point users of systems, verified by its Kantara accredited assessors.”

“Both of our organizations seek to help provide the common and basic elements needed to support a single internet-based identity to be broadly used by healthcare professionals as they obtain online credentials,” added Lee Barrett, executive director, EHNAC.