Health Information Exchange (HIE)

Data exchange makes strides, but much work remains

The Statewide Health Information Network of New York sees itself as a "public utility" as much as an HIE. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, as patients bounce between hospitals (and as other public utilities, such as electricity and transportation, are compromised), it has enabled critical continuity of care.

Blaming a "sluggish economy," the developers of what was envisioned as a gleaming Medical Trade Center in the midst of a growing healthcare market abandoned the project Thursday.

The added work anticipated from meaningful use requirements, the pressure to achieve data sharing and the clock ticking toward the 2014 deadline for conversion of diagnostic and medical billing codes from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets has driven the demand for consultants, creating what some call a boom.

The ever-increasing ability of both doctors and patients to send and receive healthcare data on the move is adding some weight to the health information exchange debate, but issues remain with security and a reluctance to share information.

Federal regulators announced in September that they have dropped plans to write formal regulations, or “rules of the road,” to control the exchange of health information within the nationwide health information network (NwHIN).

Jonathan Bush, CEO of athenahealth, opines on the state of HIEs and explains the obstacles associated with EHR usability.

One of the most interesting and innovative elements of the advancement of health information technology that I’ve encountered, is Blue Button, a web tool patients can use to view and download their personal health information. Blue Button has been in use for two years by the Veterans Health Administration and other healthcare organizations, including Kaiser Permanente, McKesson, Aetna and United Health Group.

Christopher Boone, director of outpatient quality and health IT for the American Heart Association in Dallas, will fill a vacancy on the federal Health Information Technology Policy Committee. Boone will fill one of three committee positions held by advocates for patients or consumers.

Former President Bill Clinton will deliver the keynote at HIMSS13 in New Orleans on March 6. HIMSS officials released its list of speakers on Sept. 5, the same day Clinton delivered the keynote at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.