Health Data Utility Capability Model Refined to Include State-Based Entities

In 2023, the Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI), an organization of nonprofit health data networks, created a Maturity Model for health data utilities (HDUs), and then in 2025 built on that framework by creating a Capability Model that identified more than 160 capabilities for a clearer understanding of what an HDU can do. Now with input from stakeholders CSRI has refined the Capability Model to include state-based entities as well as nonprofit ones.

HDUs are defined as nonprofit organizations with information exchange at their core and multi-stakeholder governance. Through their mission and function, they seek to meet the comprehensive health data delivery and analytics needs of a state’s public and private sectors. Last year, the nonprofit New York eHealth Collaborative, which leads health information exchange efforts across the state of New York, joined CSRI. The founding CSRI members are Contexture, CRISP, CyncHealth, Indiana Health Information Exchange, and Manifest MedEx.


In the Capability Model update, 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. 

“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., CEO of CSRI, in a statement. “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.”

Before joining CSRI, Overhage had served as chief health information officer for organizations such as Elevance Health, Siemens Health Solutions, and Cerner as well as practicing for 20 years as a physician in a major academic medical center.

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. Here is the new definition: An HDU is a not-for-profit organization or state government entity with information exchange at its core and multi-stakeholder 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. 

CSRI said 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.

CSRI said its members are taking self-assessments using the Capability Model to advance their strategy and value to stakeholders.