HIE (health information exchange) is essential for interoperability. This is especially true as technology advances and there are more options for receiving and transferring information. Healthcare organizations must make sure that all employees are trained properly to overcome any potential problems with data exchange.
The Health Information Exchange allows healthcare providers secure and electronic access to patient data. These exchanges are vital because many medical records are still in paper files. This information is shared via phone, mail, fax, or e-mail. It adds complexity to the process and leaves room for error, which slows down the whole process for patients and providers.
Americans are mobile today. You may live in the Southeast. However, your work might require you to travel to the Northeast frequently. Family vacations could take you to the Midwest. Visits to friends and family may take you to California. A visit to a new provider may be necessary for any of these short-term or long-term stays.
What is HIE?
Understanding the origins of HIEs and how they function within the healthcare community is key to understanding their roles. HIMSS claims that HIEs were born out of regional health information organisations (RHIOs). These RHIOs (also known as regional health information exchanges or RHIEs) were often nonprofit organizations that connected providers to a central exchange. They used different EHR systems and were usually not for profit. Many of these organizations are now thriving. However, some have failed or changed their structure.
A third model of connectivity is found within the users of an EHR system. Accountable Care Organizations are unique in their ability to interoperate. A healthcare information organization (HIO) may be launched by large provider networks or hospital systems.
It would be great if the provider could access all the patient’s medical information, including recent lab results, allergies, prescriptions, and other pertinent information. Health information exchanges (HIEs) are based on the ability to share this data with other hospitals, cities, and across the country.
How Usefull Hies Software Is?
HIEs is simple concept they improve the quality, coordination, and cost effectiveness healthcare in their local communities. HIEs are complex organizations that offer a variety of services and geographic coverage, despite the simplicity of their concept. One of the speakers at the annual HIE industry conference said last year that if you have seen one HIE you’ve seen all HIE solutions.
HIE allows for interoperability between EHRs (electronic medical records) that an organization or provider already has. It allows electronic health information to be securely and efficiently transferred between parties using different technologies.
Integrate Patient Data:
It allows for the authorized use of electronic health information in accordance with federal and state law. This does not count towards information blocking.
HIE uses data standardization techniques to integrate patient data uniformly into an individual practice’s EHR. This means that vital patient data is identical regardless of who entered it into the EHR. This allows for the creation a greater variety of patient health information.
EHR system:
If a provider is notified of abnormal laboratory results, they can be entered into the patient’s electronic chart. The provider will then be able to flag them and schedule follow-up visits, specialist consults, and repeat laboratory tests in order to meet the patient’s needs.
Interoperability is something that almost everyone who has ever been in touch with a healthcare provider has needed to experience. Although providers may be connected within a healthcare system via a shared EHR system, patients must fill out their medical history again if they move outside the system.
Interoperability is a necessity for those who provide care. Fax machines are still an important means of information exchange in the healthcare industry.
Secure system and Data Privacy:
Providers often face a major problem in ensuring that health data privacy is maintained and protected throughout the data exchange process. While organizations must comply with all state and federal regulations regarding data security, they should still allow data to flow as required for patient care.
A covered entity can participate in the disclosure of PHI or use it for its own treatment, payment and healthcare operations. The PHI can also be disclosed to other covered entities by those covered entities that created or collected it.
- The covered entity may also use or disclose the PHI to support the health care operations and treatment of another covered entity.
Patients can also be assured that their data will not be compromised by focusing on security concerns in healthcare data exchange. It is important that organizations keep current with the most recent federal regulatory changes. These could affect how information can and should be disclosed.
Reducing costs and Efficient:
HIEs are important in standardizing healthcare information and facilitating data exchange between organizations. HIMSS lists the following examples of data exchange that HIEs support. Real-time patient data access can improve the quality of your care and help you to be more efficient.
Reducing costs by removing duplicate lab tests and imaging. You must prepare for participation in ACOs, population Health and other value-based healthcare initiatives.
Final words:
HIE, as mentioned previously, is not intended to replace important provider-patient communication but to ensure that a patient’s medical records are complete and accurate. These assurances can make a difference in the outcome of a patient’s care.
New payment models that encourage providers to use HIE are increasing in popularity. They include new payment methods that emphasize coordination of care and meaningful use requirements.