New updates strengthen HDU Capability Model to fully reflect stakeholder priorities and feedback; includes the addition of 10 new capabilities
INDIANAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI), a collection of the nation’s largest and most robust nonprofit health data networks, has announced new updates to the Health Data Utility (HDU) Capability Model. In response to the input from stakeholders, CSRI refined and clarified key definitions; removed elements that did not add sufficient value; added several new capabilities and examples, including practical functions such as the ability to geocode a patient’s address; adjusted the weighting and maturity level of a number of capabilities; and improved the language across many sections to increase clarity, consistency, and usability. The model is available at www.thecsri.org to the public at no cost.
“As part of the revision process, CSRI held multiple sessions with partners, including Civitas Networks for Health, where we listened and invited feedback after the initial model launched last October,” said J. Marc Overhage, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, CSRI. “We received highly constructive feedback from a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including HDUs and HIEs, public health leaders, payers, providers, researchers, patients, and other partners, that we carefully reviewed and considered throughout the revision process.”
This model establishes a method for describing and standardizing what an HDU can consistently deliver at scale that is outcomes-oriented, evidence-based, and stakeholder-specific, mapping capabilities to the distinct needs of providers, public health agencies, Medicaid and other state programs, payers, researchers, and patients.
New updates to the model include the addition of 10 new capabilities across several themes, including FHIR, data quality, the Child Opportunity Index, public benefit reporting, and dental and vision providers. In addition, 57 existing capabilities were revised to improve consistency, clarity, and completeness. Two duplicate capabilities were also deleted.
The most significant update was to the definition of an HDU to include state-based entities. An HDU is a not-for-profit organization or state government entity with information exchange at its core and multistakeholder governance, which, through its mission and function, seeks to meet the comprehensive health data delivery and analytics needs of a state’s public and private sector. The concept of HDUs has gained momentum in recent years as health information exchanges (HIEs) have advanced and developed more technology and functionality to serve state and other healthcare stakeholders at scale. CSRI’s vision is for every state to have a statewide HDU that enables better health for its entire population.
“The result is a stronger, more precise capability model that fully reflects stakeholder priorities and better serves to guide organizations on their path to becoming HDUs,” said Overhage.
The HDU Capability Model builds on CSRI’s original HDU Maturity Model, launched in 2023, which provided a simple three-tiered framework for states and the health data organizations within those states to clarify, advance, and apply the HDU concept. The HDU Capability Model establishes a method for describing and standardizing what an HDU can consistently deliver at scale, mapping more than 170 capabilities to the distinct needs of its public and private stakeholders.
CSRI will continue its efforts to advance HDUs as a vital part of the health data-sharing ecosystem, both within a state and nationally, with robust capabilities to serve a range of public and private stakeholders.
As a next step, CSRI members are taking self-assessments using the capability model to advance their strategy and value to stakeholders. HIEs interested in taking the assessment can contact Julie Klausing, Management Consultant, CSRI at [email protected] more information.
About CSRI
The Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI) is a collection of the nation’s largest and most robust nonprofit healthcare data organizations. Collectively, our nonprofit organizations connect more than 100 million records for patients across several states and provide a wide range of services to healthcare organizations and state and public health agencies.
Founding CSRI members include Contexture, CRISP, CyncHealth, Indiana Health Information Exchange, and Manifest MedEx. Most recently, New York eHealth Collaborative joined in May 2025.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Sarita Choy
Marketing and Public Relations, CSRI
[email protected]
323-270-5895
