Health Information Exchange (HIE)

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Health Information Exchange (HIE) sounds like a lofty concept but it enables health care professionals and patients to securely share and access a patient’s vital medical information electronically. It is the ability to transmit healthcare information across organizations within a healthcare system such as a hospital, a community, state or region. state. In this paper, I will focus on the key concerns of healthcare leaders have about health information exchanges and whether it has helped healthcare in terms of delivery, quality of care and cost savings. Also, whether health information exchanges have become an essential part of the healthcare system and how close is the United States to the goal of nationwide implementation.
In recent years, …show more content…

A regional health information organization is a health information exchange organization where a region’s electronic health information is stored and shared. RHIO’s bring together healthcare stakeholders within a defined geographic area and governs health information exchange among them. The purpose of RHIO’s are to improve health and care in that community. RHIO’s usually have a board of directors consisting of representatives from its member organizations which include healthcare provider entities as well as payers, laboratories and public health departments. In order for RHIOs to be established various stakeholders have to develop consensus on the information that can be shared among different participating entities, data use agreements and programs to assist affiliated provider with health IT adoption at the institutional level. (www.hrsa.gov, …show more content…

One example of this is in Florida, where Florida’s Health Information Exchange was created partially with federal stimulus money in 2011. Although, Florida’s Health information Exchange provides three services which are Patient-Look up, Event Notification Service and Direct Messaging, there is still little buy in by health providers. According to a news article, the lack of buy in is due to the cost of electronic health records. Health leaders there are hoping that when more doctors and hospitals buy in, the cost of equipment will drop and thereby increasing the number of health care providers who will participate. (Ryan Benk, WJCT-FM,