Healthcare Case Study

Health Information Exchange (HIE) supports both transferring and sharing of health related information that is usually stored in multiple organizations, while maintaining the context and integrity of the information being exchanged (HIE, 2014). The goal of health information exchange is to expedite access to and retrieve clinical data to provide safe efficient, effective, equitable, timelier patient-centered care (HIE, 2014). HIE “provides access and retrieval of patient information to authorized users in order to provide safe, efficient, effective, and timely patient care” (HIE, 2014).

The problem is fragmented electronic health records (EHRs) that lack communication and availability. Interoperability does not benefit the patient or the healthcare provider. “In healthcare, interoperability is the ability of different information technology systems and software applications to communicate, exchange data, and use the information

In 2010, Stage 1 was introduced which focused on EHR data and sharing. Healthcare providers were obligated to store health information electronically in a standardize format that allowed authorized providers and patients to easily access the info. Stage 2 began in 2014, this stage broadened the use of EHR software for health information exchange among providers which will feature enhanced integration for e-prescribing and lab results, increased sharing of patient care summaries, and continuing to encourage patients to engage in their care in order to earn the incentives. Stage 3 began in 2016 which was set out to improve outcomes. To improve the outcome of health for patients on a large scale, the quality of health information exchanged needed to be focused on, giving providers efficient and easy access to comprehensive patient data (LeGate, 2013).

In 2013, the HIMSS Board of Directors defined interoperability in health care as having the ability to have different information technology systems and software applications communicate, exchange date, and then use the information that has been exchanged (HIMSS, 2015). Data exchange permits data accessibility between organizational boundaries, while interoperability means health systems have the ability to work together in order to advance the health status of the individuals and communities the system serves. For two systems to be interoperable, they must be able to exchange data that can be understood by a user (HIMSS, 2015). This is extremely important to the goals of HITECH and meaningful use because it aligns with the government standard

Electronic health information exchange is a dynamic evolving landscape that can help all doctors, pharmacists, nurses and any health care providers and patients to properly access fast to share patient basic health medical information via electronically improving quality, safety and speed and the cost of patient care HIE is fault finding for successful health care reform allowing to happen interoperability and significant use of health IT, and Health care Information and Management System Society (HIMSS) is here to help health care and health IT is qualified to understand all of the latest developments. There are various types of health information exchange and health information exchange organizations that are currently across the United States and its nation.

Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) share patient information between health care providers in order to improve the speed, quality, safety, and cost of patient care. By sharing data, physicians improve their decision making, as well as reduce readmissions, avoid medication errors, improve diagnoses, and decrease duplicate testing. Aside from these benefits, the use of electronic data requires healthcare providers to standardize their data. There are three forms of exchanges – the direct exchange, query-based exchange,

Combined with data analytics, aggregate-level EHR enable examination and development of effective medicines and therapies for chronic diseases (Kohli & Tan, 2016). There are several forces that are driving many of the changes to the EHR including health and safety concerns with the number of preventable deaths from medical errors , a changing society, the internet, with an increasing amount of mobile patients, as well as government response (Gartee, 2011) The response to the IOM report was swift and positive, within both the government and private sectors (Gartee, 2011). The government responded with establishing a position of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “develop, maintain, and direct the implementation of a strategic plan to guide the nationwide implementation of interoperable health information technology in both the public and private health care sectors that will reduce medical errors, improve quality, and produce greater value for health care expenditures (Gartee,

In today’s fragmented healthcare system, clinical decisions are made based on the available information. Unfortunately, the available information is not always complete. Patients have been using an increasing number of providers and health systems, many of which have no way to effectively communicate clinical information. This forces healthcare providers to make decisions based on incomplete information at the cost of outcomes to the patients and dollars to the health system. It is estimated that the use of health information exchange (HIE) could save $78 billion in healthcare costs per year (Shortliffe, 2014, p425). A concerted effort to solve this problem began in 2009, when The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

It is not enough to have an electronic health record if the healthcare entity is unable to share information with patients and other health providers in a meaningful way. Reliable collection of data is critical to both clinical decision making as well as for reuse of the information in a variety of ways, including research and public health.In order to accomplish this ONC has initiated the interoperabilitiy standards advisory to assist with compliance and improve interoperability.Although interoperabilty is one of the goals of moving to electronic health records, progress lags behind. To mention two current problems; 1. The US is a capitalist society in which making interoperable systems may reduce profit margins. 2. There are suggestions for interoperability standards, but no

Meaningful use is the adoption and use of certified health record tech, entry/capture of data (vitals, orders), movement of data (transitions of care), report data (to larger clinical systems) (SuccessEHS, 2012). Issues

Interoperability is often a word frequently used as a goal to strive for when improving healthcare in the United States. Encouraging the utilization of health information exchange has been cited as a potential way to improve efficiency, increase safety, and enhance quality of care. There are numerous examples of how linking information between multiple data sources leads to a non-trivial task. When two operations are collecting the same data, but are recording information in different formats, it can be nearly impossible to bridge the information between those systems. Standards are important because they can facilitate mutual understanding during in regards to communication and health measures in the context of population health.

Health Information Exchange is the electronic movement of healthcare information amongst organizations according to the national standards. HIE as it is widely known, serves the purpose of providing a safe, timely, and efficient way of accessing or retrieving patient clinical data. Health Information Exchange allows for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other vital healthcare professionals to have appropriate access and securely share vital medical information regarding patient care. Health Information Exchange has been in efforts of developing for over 20 years in the United States. In 1990 the Community Health Management Information Systems (CHMIS) program was formed by the Hartford Foundation to foster a development of a centralized data repository in seven different geographically defined communities. Many of the communities struggled in securing a cost-effective technology with interoperable data sources and gaining political support. In the mid-1990s a similar initiative began known as the Community Health Information Networks (CHINs) with the intention of sharing data between providers in a more cost-effective manner. In 2004, the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research Health Information Technology Portfolio was funded $166 million in grants and contracts to improve the quality and safety to support more patient-centered care. This was the beginning of the progress we have seen in HIE today. Health Information Exchange devolvement serves the purpose of improving

A major parts of the Triple Aim is to provide efficiency in the coordination of care. The next major part of success is sharing clinical data among different locations. The sharing of clinical data on the electronic health records on allows more transparency and coordination of multiple sites. This efficiency will further promote the overall success of the industry. For example, CareOregon effectively coordinating care for high-risk patients saving up to $5,000 per member and Genesys Health System study showed 50% reduction in hospitalization using their integrated network (McCarthy & Klein, 2010).

The article primarily focused on health information exchange and provided a case related to the impact of interoperability and analytics had on an ecosystem. At the beginning of the article, it states that Triple Aim has three components which entail reducing the cost of care, improving the overall health of the population, and improving the patient experience. Triple aim imposes many challenges, however interoperability between HIE can help solve some of the current issues. Interoperability essentially means how well multiple health information systems work together to deliver effective healthcare.

In health care, patients’ lives are in the hands of the health care practitioners, health care organizations, insurance companies, and to some degree, even health care technology. The growth and future implications of evidence-based medicine (EBM) through improvement of technology in health care are important today, because health care practitioners and organizations want to ultimately decrease cost, improve quality of care, and increase access to health care (Glandon, Smaltz, & Slovensky, 2014, p. 28). One way to achieve these goals is through the implementation and improvement of EBM and interoperability which will enhance the efficiency of work production resulting in these positive outcomes. According to Glandon, Smaltz, and Slovensky (2014), EBM is an “information management and learning strategy that seeks to integrate clinical expertise with the best evidence available to make effective clinical decisions that will ultimately improve patient care,” (p. 6). “Interoperability is the ability of different information and communications technology systems and software applications to communicate, to exchange data accurately, effectively, and consistently, and to use information that has been exchanged,” (Iroju, Soriyan, Gambo, & Olaleke, 2013, para. 1). Without interoperability and EBM, fundamental data and information such as patient records cannot be easily shared across and within enterprises having a direct impact on the quality of care. It