The general conversation in healthcare technology / informatics today seems to focus around what standards need to be implemented and how to achieve those standards in your system (if you’re in the vendor world) or how to adapt to those standards if you are in a decision making role such as a VP, Administrator, Operations or in other words a key stakeholder in a healthcare organization. However, I believe the ultimate goal should be kept in mind which is Health Information Exchange -- which has been promoted by U.S. presidents, large communication firms such as AT&T, healthcare organizations, patients, and doctors. The seamless exchange of health information between healthcare entities or others who have a ‘need to know’ is crucial to forming a better, more efficient, and safer healthcare industry in the United States, and in an even broader sense, the world. As we build our systems and networks, the focus needs to remain on the ultimate goal of information sharing. Otherwise, organizations will waste time and finances reinventing the wheel when they get to this point when our infrastructure is ready to support this goal.
Health Information Exchange can also be viewed as interoperability between organizations in healthcare. It means the ability to exchange patient health information among disparate clinicians and other authorized entities in real time and under stringent security, private, and other protections. HIE also promotes the ability of different information technology systems and software applications to communicate (Amatayakul, 433). HIE’s begin with forming regional health information organizations (RHIOs). RHIOs are basically the same thing as a HIE only on a smaller, regional scale. In our case, it could be seen as current work between Florida Hospital, Orlando Health, and Health First all starting to share information. I’m sure Shands may also be in on it as well. Many see RHIOs at a state level, connecting most of the larger healthcare organizations’ systems through standardized HIPAA and HL7 defined exchanges that exist today or may exist in the future (Sterling, 157). This is no easy undertaking as there are multiple problems or issues that need to be ironed out. First, you have the legal issue of breaches of confidentiality if shared information gets leaked due to security breaches at one organization. It also requires competitors to communicate with each other and although the information being shared can be seen not as “their” information, but the patient’s information, it technically and legally is data owned and managed by the healthcare organization. This same data is what those organizations use to assess risk analysis within their organization to reshape the way they deliver healthcare. Many competing organizations may also not want to share how exactly they treat patients and how they achieve high patient satisfaction scores which help make them a “destination health” organization.
Never-the-less, it is in the best interest of our nation, the healthcare industry, doctors, and, most of all, the patient to share this information among healthcare entities for better medical decision making. Some other key benefits are based on research that it projects saving the U.S. economy $78 billion, provides better outcomes through shared patient records letting providers spot warning signs faster, improves patient-caregiver relations, streamlines workflows, and promotes positive perceptions to patients that healthcare organizations are working together to do what’s best for the patient (Amatayakul, 434).In the today’s scenarios, organizations are still trying to figure out first, how to get their health information from paper onto electronic mediums. Those who have transitioned to EHRs may still be trying to figure out how to get their own best of breed systems to connect and interface with each other. However, as those organizations continue to look towards the future, they should keep their ultimate goal focused on RHIOs and HIEs. My role as a Health Information Management RHIA certified professional, working on my Masters in Healthcare Informatics, currently is to educate and support my colleagues with my own knowledge and expertise by recommending steps that should be taken to move forward with these difficult, but achievable, goals. The day a National Health Information Network thrives is the day patients can worry less about negative outcomes with their own healthcare due to obstructed flow of their health information.
References:
Amatayakul, M. K. (2007). Electronic Health Records: A Practical Guide for Professionals and Organizations. Chicago: American Health Information Management Association.
Sterling, R. B. (2010). Keys to EMR/HER Success: Selecting and Implementing an Electronic Medical Record. Phoenix: Greenbranch Publishing.
