What Is HIE, Why Is It Important & Its Impact On Interoperability

A Health information exchange allows healthcare providers to share medical records (HIE). It is hard to overstate the importance of paper records. This information is often delivered through mail, fax, and telephone, significantly delaying the process for all parties involved.

In today's world, the majority of Americans are always on the move. The Northeast may be a regular business, family vacation, or friend's visit location. This might happen at any time throughout your stay.

Access to a patient's electronic medical record, which contains current lab tests, diagnoses, allergies, and medications, would be beneficial to this practitioner. Hospitals, communities, and states must be able to communicate data in order to construct health information exchanges (HIEs).

HIE in the healthcare industry

Their goal is to increase the quality, efficiency, and coordination of care in their communities. HIEs come in a vast variety of configurations, shapes, and sizes, despite their apparent simplicity. "If you've seen one HIE, you've seen one HIE," said a speaker at the HIE industry conference the previous year.

SHIEC serves as a coordinating body for all HIEs in the United States. 60 members account for more than half of the population of the United States.

Health information exchanges (HIEs) in general are unable to provide medical care. This results in a win-win scenario. Patients' vital health information can be shared throughout healthcare systems to enhance treatment and results.

Relevance of HIE with Interoperability

If you've ever interacted with a healthcare practitioner, you understand that everything must work in unison. Patients who transfer from an EHR-sharing healthcare system must re-enter their medical history. This is true even if they remain in the same area.

A person working in the area realizes how critical collaboration is. Many people in the healthcare business continue to interact using fax machines.

When data is standardized and easily shared between healthcare institutions, HIEs represent a significant benefit. You may obtain a list of data transfers that HIEs can support from HIMSS.

Here are the significant data pulled out of the HIE solution:

Doctors' notes and records (transcription and care summary notes, ED notes, discharge summaries, referrals, consulting, etc.)

The publication includes statistics on immunization and illness surveillance, as well as information on prescription refills.

Joining the Health Information Exchange

Electronic medical records are used by a substantial majority of hospitals and doctors.

There are several ways to join an HIE. They include the following, but are not limited to:

Vendor Integration

You may be able to use Direct Secure Messaging in your EHR to transmit encrypted messages. You may now send HIPAA-compliant emails without exiting your EHR.

Local Network

A hospital or health system may be able to connect you with additional medical specialists in your area. Finally, call any linked hospitals to determine if they have any information.

Regional Health Information Exchange

In your location, there may be a regional health information exchange (HIE) that may connect you to other medical experts in your city, county, or state. Additionally, the HIE is capable of offering superior customer service.

Statewide Health Information Exchange

Numerous states have an SDE that fulfills some or all of the responsibilities outlined above. HIE may be located by conducting a search on your state's name. If your state's health information exchange does not serve individual practices, it can connect you to regional networks that can aid you in locating one.

At this moment, the critical significance of interoperability cannot be emphasized. There has never been a more advantageous moment to join one of the several HIEs that are presently available. When the appropriate HIEs are in place, they can aid your clinic or hospital in providing superior patient care and, as a result, earn additional revenue. Contact Azalea Health if you're interested in learning more about Health Information Exchanges.

HIE and TEFCA

As previously stated, the only constant in healthcare is change. HIEs have failed in certain cases but succeeded in others. All of this might change if the TEFCA moniker is adopted.

HHS released a draft standard for a "Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement," or TEFCA, in the early months of 2018. TEFCA is required by the 21st Century Cures Act to meet interoperability standards. As part of this effort, clinicians and hospitals will have a single "on-ramp" to engage in any health information exchange (HIE).

TEFCA requires interoperability across healthcare information networks as well as point-to-point communication. Under the new HIE framework, participants now have greater access to health information.

Payers' Technology Providers have their own networks dedicated to federal government health care organizations, physicians, and nurses.

Two of the most intriguing components of the Trusted Exchange Framework are implemented in two separate ways. You may have observed that the participants are referred to as "individuals" throughout. According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, patients and caregivers should be able to view their own medical records (ONC).

We now have access to a vast new pool of data for investigation by adding "population level data." While data access and usage must be controlled, organizations and researchers are salivating at the thought of having access to vast volumes of health data.

The final TEFCA regulations are due in 2018. Interoperability and the exchange of health information will remain a goal regardless of the ultimate rule. True interoperability will be supported by healthcare system changes and the basis laid by QHINs and RCE.

Interoperability & HIE

For the meaningful exchange of health data, standards-based health information systems and semantic interoperability tools are required. The Interoperability and Health Information Exchange Committee works tirelessly throughout the year to offer the tools and services you demand!

Interoperability refers to the exchange and comprehension of data between systems. Interoperability requires two systems to be able to share data and display it in an intelligible fashion. Regardless of the program or vendor used, data may be simply exchanged across different healthcare contexts.

HIE is a fluid and ever-changing environment. Health information and technology must be leveraged successfully for healthcare reform, and HIMSS is here to help.

Interoperability and the Exchange of Health Information The Community and Interoperability and HIE Committee works diligently to provide you with the materials you require. They're all doing it for the right reasons.

While lobbying and educating, HIMSS, for example, highlights the importance of interoperability in order to transmit safe electronic health information. We must guarantee that all residents have access to health information in order to improve our country's overall well-being. Those who care for them as well as those who work in the medical industry are included.