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The CSRI Health Data Utility Capability Model

The Health Data Utility (HDU) Capability Model developed by the Consortium for State and Regional Interoperability (CSRI) is a practical, stakeholder-driven method for characterizing and assessing the capability and maturity of HDUs that provide comprehensive health data and analytics services to a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders across the U.S.

Building on CSRI’s HDU Maturity Model first launched in 2023, the HDU Capability Model establishes a method for describing what an HDU can consistently deliver at scale that is outcomes-oriented, evidence-verifiable, and stakeholder-specific, mapping capabilities to the distinct needs of providers, public health agencies, Medicaid and other state programs, payers, researchers, and patients.

The Capability Model moves beyond a binary, step‑function maturity ladder by combining foundational requirements with a weighted scoring method. The result is a clearer, more proportional view of what an HDU can reliably deliver today and where to invest next, without reducing complex performance to a simple checklist.

Key Elements of the HDU Capability Model:

  1. Five stakeholder-specific modules that address the needs of the following: providers, payers, public health, researchers, and patients
  2. Shared or “core” capabilities that are common across all stakeholder-specific modules
  3. Four levels of advancement: Emerging, Foundational, Advanced, and Aspirational
  4. Certain “gates” must be passed before achieving a higher level of advancement
  5. Scoring or “index” by stakeholder, providing a clear, comparable view of an HDU’s ability to deliver the capabilities most relevant to that specific stakeholder

The HDU Capability Model Is Intended To Support

Glass building

Public and private sector stakeholders who rely on health data to better understand the extent to which an HDU is meeting their specific needs.

looking up to the sun through concrete pillars

Policymakers who are considering designation and/or further development of HDUs to support health data connectivity at the state and national levels.

illustration of a graph moving up

HIEs and other organizations who can use the HDU model as a roadmap and standard to communicate the value and alignment of their data services with stakeholder needs.

Stakeholders

The HDU Capability Model identifies five key stakeholder groups of health data utilities within the model and provides an approach to determining the extent an HDU is meeting their needs:

Providers

Providers

Payers

Payers

Public Health Agencies

Public Health Agencies

Researchers

Researchers

Patients

Patients

Capabilities

The HDU Capability Model defines a capability as an outcome-oriented statement supported by verifiable evidence, ensuring that assessments focus on demonstrable results rather than aspirational claims. The Model defines approximately 160 capabilities organized into two complementary categories:

Shared Domain Capabilities

Cross-cutting, essential enablers that underpin all other functions and are “shared” or “universal” among all five key stakeholder groups.

Stakeholder Domain Capabilities

Capabilities that reflect the distinct requirements of each of the five key stakeholder groups.

Certain capabilities are called out as “gating” or foundational capabilities, meaning such capabilities must be present before higher levels of designation can be achieved.

HDU Capability Levels and Advancement

The HDU Capability Model delineates four levels of graduated advancement into which the capabilities have been organized:

4 Levels of HDU capability levels.
View the Full Catalog of Capabilities
View at-a-Glance
View the Guidebook