Colorado launches COSHI to enhance social health information exchange

The 2025 Health IT Data Governance Workgroup Meeting, held by the Colorado Office of eHealth Innovation on May 23, 2025, focused on the development and implementation of the Colorado Social Health Information Exchange (COSHI). The meeting highlighted COSHI's role in enhancing care coordination rather than serving as a surveillance or research tool.

Key discussions emphasized that COSHI is designed to improve user experience within the healthcare ecosystem by facilitating interoperability among existing health information technology systems. It is not intended to replace current solutions but to complement them, ensuring that various systems can connect effectively.

COSHI is characterized as a customizable and flexible platform, adaptable to the varying technological capabilities of its users. This means it can accommodate both advanced systems that utilize API integration and simpler setups that may rely on basic data formats like Excel files. The initiative is a long-term project, with a development timeline spanning from September 30, 2024, to June 30, 2034, indicating a phased deployment approach.

The meeting also addressed the importance of gathering feedback from partners to tailor COSHI to their needs. The platform is described as vendor agnostic, modular, and modern, allowing it to evolve alongside advancements in technology and changes in the social care landscape.

In practical terms, COSHI is already working to integrate datasets, including information from the Homeless Management Information System and housing voucher data from the Department of Local Affairs. This integration aims to enhance the overall effectiveness of social health information exchange in Colorado.

The discussions at the meeting underscored the significance of COSHI in fostering a more connected and responsive healthcare environment, with the potential to improve care coordination and access to vital social health resources.