Health Information Exchange (HIE), Definition & Benefits

Posted by: Alok Prasad


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The world is becoming ever more interconnected thanks to the advent of the internet as well as associated communication technologies. Long gone are the days of writing a letter and waiting for a Exchangeresponse or going to the library to do research. Technology has improved various industries and has also broadened the healthcare landscape.

Imagine an 80-year-old patient in the primary care clinic for ongoing atrial fibrillation. Such a patient will have an average of six treatable disorders, all managed by different clinicians, and thus will most likely have labs repeated and less than optimal care. It goes without saying that there is a need for a synchronization system to provide optimal care.

Health Information Exchange (HIE) allows the electronic sharing of patient health information among healthcare providers, facilitating seamless communication and coordination of care. HIE can enhance efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and reduce duplication of tests and procedures by allowing authorized healthcare professionals to access and securely exchange relevant medical data across different organizations and platforms.

  1. Reduces redundant medical tests, errors, and administrative tasks, leading to better decision-making and more effective healthcare delivery.
  2. Provides a comprehensive view of a patient's medical history, allowing healthcare providers to make more informed decisions and deliver personalized care.
  3. Improves patient outcomes and reduces healthcare costs by streamlining communication and information sharing between healthcare providers.
  4. Improves care coordination among different healthcare providers, leading to more efficient and effective healthcare delivery.

Styles of Health Information Exchanges

There are two main styles:

1. The Federated System:

The most common HIE system is the federated system. It can help connect multiple systems that clinicians, hospitals, or other healthcare providers may have to ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality care. It does this by minimizing gaps in patients' medical records and helps achieve the triple aim by minimizing repeated tests. The federated HIE system is designed to replace the manual and arduous process of clinicians calling each other to request records, only to have them mailed or faxed for entry into another digital system.

2. The Centralized System

Unlike in the federalized system, in a centralized system, the data is typically held in a master database and is accessible to appropriate clinicians.

Evolution of Health Information Exchanges

The history of HIEs in the US can be traced back to the early 1990s but sped up after the infamous Institute of Medicine Report, "To Err is Human," clarifying the mortality and morbidity associated with medical errors. As such, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology was created with bipartisan support in 2004, and grants were awarded by the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) to different states to create HIEs. More recently, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) act put the importance of HIEs into focus by increasing the use of EHRs through incentives for clinicians and hospitals.

Types of Health Information Exchanges

1.    Directed Exchange

Directed exchange is where providers can send electronic health information to each other directly. That is, the provider can automatically send the data required to another provider as if it were a text message or fax. If a PCP refers a patient to a cardiologist for further testing, he can utilize this directed exchange model to send the patient's specifics directly to the referred clinician. Subsequently, the referred clinician can easily forward back the findings and all associated data, utilizing the same directed exchange model.

2.    Query-Based Exchange

The query-based exchange allows a server to respond to search requests and pull up all the available data. It is akin to a Google search of a patient’s electronic health records. If a patient is brought into the ER following a car crash, his information can be pulled from other providers by utilizing a query-based exchange.

3.    Consumer Mediated Exchange:

Unlike other types of exchanges, this type gives patients the ability to aggregate and control the use of their health information among providers. The most recent examples are mobile apps demonstrating SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination status, pulling data from several exchanges to comply with local rules and regulations.

Technologies & Standards

Health Information Exchange (HIE) relies on various technologies and standards to facilitate the secure and seamless exchange of health-related data among healthcare organizations and systems. Here are some commonly used technologies and standards in the context of HIE:

  1. Health Level Seven (HL7): HL7 standards, such as HL7 v2 and HL7 FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources), are widely adopted for exchanging, integrating, and interoperability clinical and administrative data.

  2. Clinical Document Architecture (CDA): CDA is an HL7 standard for representing and exchanging clinical documents, including discharge summaries, lab results, and progress notes, among different healthcare systems.

  3. Direct Secure Messaging: Direct messaging is a standardized protocol that enables secure, point-to-point communication of health information, such as referrals, care summaries, and lab reports, between healthcare providers.

  4. Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture (CCDA): CCDA is an XML-based standard for exchanging electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical summaries, allowing for the structured exchange of patient data.

  5. XDS (Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing): XDS is an integration profile developed by Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) that provides a framework for sharing clinical documents across different healthcare enterprises.

  6. IHE Profiles: Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) develops a range of profiles that define specifications for interoperability, including document exchange, patient identity management, and secure communication.

  7. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs): APIs provide a standardized way for different systems to interact and exchange data. FHIR APIs, in particular, are increasingly used for HIE, allowing for more efficient and granular data exchange.

These technologies and standards are employed to ensure interoperability, data consistency, and secure exchange of health information between disparate systems, promoting coordinated and patient-centered care. The specific technologies and standards implemented may vary based on regional regulations, organizational requirements, and the maturity of HIE initiatives.

HIE Benefits

Health Information Exchange (HIE) offers numerous benefits that improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Here are five key advantages of implementing HIE:

1. Enhances care coordination

It enables the seamless sharing of patient health information among healthcare providers, allowing for better coordination and continuity of care. Clinicians can access comprehensive patient records, including medical history, medications, allergies, and lab results, facilitating informed decision-making and reducing medical errors.

2. Improves efficiency and productivity

By eliminating the need for redundant tests, reducing paperwork, and streamlining administrative processes, HIEs contribute to increased efficiency within healthcare systems. These efficiencies translate into cost savings for both healthcare providers and patients, ultimately improving the affordability of healthcare services.

3. Expedites Decision-Making

Access to comprehensive patient data through HIE enables healthcare providers to make more informed and timely decisions regarding diagnosis, treatment plans, and medication management. This rapid decision-making process can significantly improve patient outcomes, particularly in emergency situations.

4. Enhances Patient Safety

HIEs help prevent medical errors and adverse events by providing healthcare providers with access to a patient's complete medical history, including allergies, medications, and prior diagnoses. This comprehensive view of the patient's health status reduces the likelihood of medication errors, adverse drug reactions, and other preventable incidents.

5. Facilitates emergency and urgent care support

HIE proves especially valuable in emergency situations. Access to critical patient information, such as allergies, pre-existing conditions, and medication history, enables faster and more accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions. HIE also facilitates communication between emergency departments, urgent care centers, and other healthcare providers, ensuring timely and coordinated care.

6. Reduces duplicate testing and medication errors

With HIE, healthcare providers have immediate access to a patient's complete medical history, eliminating the need for redundant tests or imaging procedures. This not only saves costs but also reduces the risk of unnecessary radiation exposure. HIE also helps minimize medication errors by providing accurate and up-to-date medication lists, allergy information, and potential drug interactions.

7. Improves public health surveillance and reporting

With HIE, population health management and public health initiatives receive a boost. By aggregating and analyzing de-identified patient data, public health agencies can monitor disease outbreaks, identify trends, and implement timely interventions. HIE also aids in public health reporting requirements, such as electronic case reporting, immunization registries, and syndromic surveillance. 

Overall, HIE enhances care coordination, improves efficiency, supports emergency care, reduces errors, and contributes to public health initiatives. These benefits collectively lead to better healthcare outcomes, patient safety, and healthcare system effectiveness.

Recent Trends in Health Information Exchanges

1.    Interoperability

Interoperability is one of the present challenges of HIEs. In an ideal world, an HIE would not be necessary as all EHRs would be able to "talk" with one another inherently without necessitating the "referee" and "middleman" functions of an HIE. The information would be standardized. 

For example, a lab would be able to automatically send results to a physician, and a physician would be able to automatically report a communicable disease to appropriate authorities without an HIE as the facilitator.

In 2015, the ONC revealed its nationwide interoperability roadmap. The long-term goals from the federal regulatory standpoint are to:

  • Increase participation in HIEs.
  • Send, receive, find, and use electronic health records.
  • Have such electronic health records utilized in making medical decisions.
  • Have electronic health information available from external sources and make it available to other external sources.

The ultimate goals are:

  • Positive outcomes from efficient interoperability,
  • Better health,
  • Lower cost,
  • And improved processes.

The use of value-based payments by the Federal Government is enabled by data sharing through HIEs, and CMS has progressively increased such participation in Medicare and Medicaid over the years. However, this was slowed down by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

2.    The "United States" of HIEs

One further goal of ONC is to create a "United States" of HIEs. Currently, HIEs are local, or at most statewide, and cover a handful of states. That is, if a patient is seen in one region, their information is available through HIEs to local providers. However, if that patient relocates or travels across the country, it becomes increasingly difficult to access the data, and the data does not move with the patient. The ONC has contributed to the achievement of this goal through grants and leadership in four major projects:

i.     The Direct Project

Launched in 2010, this project specifies a simple, secure, scalable, standards-based way to send authenticated, encrypted health information directly over the internet. Presently, the Direct Project has over 200 participants from over 60 organizations. The ultimate goal is that every EHR or provider can share patient data securely, easily, and without relying on HIEs.

ii.    The Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN) Exchange 

Live in 2011, this project was the first to implement standards and policies to enable secure health information exchange over the internet, as well as work towards achieving the goals of the HITECH Act. Currently, the NwHIN Exchange connects federal agencies as well as private organizations such as the CDC, CMS, DoD, VA, Kaiser Permanente, SSA, and HealthBridge.

iii and iv.     Other Two Projects

 Also launched in 2010 were two programs aimed at states with the State HIE Cooperative Agreement Program Grants as well as private HIE grants such as the Verizon HIE, enabling enterprises to ensure data accessibility for their employees and insureds. Thus, the 2010s have been successful in ensuring local connectivity, especially from a state perspective.

3.    Public Health and Health Information Exchanges

Undoubtedly, ONC will focus on more federal connectivity in meeting the Meaningful Use criteria set by the HITECH Act going forward. The problems with such a lack of connectivity were highlighted during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The goal of these systems was to help public health officials understand the epidemiology of the disease. Instead, there were gaps in reporting, and the officials struggled to ensure accurate test positivity and associated patient data with a hodgepodge of state, federal, and private data. 

With that in mind, the ONC accelerated its efforts to bring together the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), publishing its first version on January 18, 2022. 

The goal of TEFCA is to establish a universal floor of interoperability across the country, enabling users to securely exchange clinical data regardless of their location and the network utilized. TEFCA also puts forward qualified health information networks (QHINs). 

The QHINs are entities to be designated by the federal government to create transportation mechanisms to route information among HIEs, with the idea of multiple QHINs connecting all HIEs.

From a public health perspective, the Strengthening the Technical Advancement & Readiness of Public Health via Health Information Exchange Program (Star HIE Program) was founded in 2020 to ensure that immunization and other similar data flow to the public health agencies. This ensures that the gaps highlighted by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic are appropriately resolved and HIE services are improved to support those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

4.    Use of HIEs as Utilities

There is no doubt that HIEs are here to stay and ever expand. If anything, the COVID-19 Pandemic and the utility of HIEs in monitoring epidemiology, and vaccine uptake, have given regulators more reasons to possibly treat HIEs as "utilities". From a state regulatory as well as emergency management perspective, HIEs have proven invaluable during the pandemic in merging both COVID-19 cases and associated patient data to ensure appropriate risk stratification and rational distribution of resources. 

Following the loss of funding in the mid-2010s and the shuttering of several HIEs, there is no doubt that regulators will prioritize HIEs going forward and treat them akin to a utility, ensuring funding and advancements for years to come, particularly in light of the simplified business model that is a commodity exchange. Of note, though, programs like TEFCA will no doubt ensure that EHR providers have their on-ramp into the HIE ecosystem, and, for more individual providers, the HIEs will be the merging lane.

What Can Small Practices do so They Don’t Get Left Out?

1.    Ensure interconnectivity

The current landscape of HIEs is akin to a pyramid, with smaller fish connecting to even bigger ones. From a small practice perspective, the time is now to ensure you’re aligned with a particular HIE provider as well as switched over to an appropriate EHR system.

As a small practice, you should be on the bus to Abilene, and not get off until the destination is reached. This will ensure you’re aligned with the bigger picture and you ace any regulatory requirements that will ultimately tie to your bottom line in the context of value-based medicine, for example via MIPS scores.

2.    Costs, costs, costs

Participation in an EHR will ultimately necessitate upfront costs. However, these are likely to come back to you in the future as increased billing opportunities. Furthermore, you can also look for appropriate grants or associated state-level funding to help achieve these goals.

When you’re in an HIE and have access to the patient’s complete picture, it becomes easier to provide value-based medicine. You can even consider capitation and at-risk contracts in the future, as you’ll have better access to the full risks and disease status of the population at risk.

Moreover, you’ll be able to provide more efficient care, instead of spending ever-increasing amounts of time on paperwork. Thus, you can bill more effectively and spend your time on direct healthcare instead of administrative paperwork.

3.    Use caution when selecting HIEs.

Not all HIEs are created equal. How one HIE succeeds where others fail depends on their services, as well as their vision and mission. You should be aware of:

  • Economics and sustainability of the HIE
  • Internal requirements of participating in the HIE
  • Technology behind the HIE and which forms of exchange the HIE supports
  • Non-economic benefits of the HIE (in-direct return on investment)
  • Risks and liabilities involved with joining the HIE

Furthermore, you should be well aware of the HIEs' data analytics. Be sure to know whether your care will be compared to other similar providers' and whether you’ll be benchmarked, as this can come up during negotiations with payers. 

Finally, you should pay careful attention to which HIE the local bigger fish (such as your local hospital system) uses and plan to have access to most of the data generated by your patient population, which will be in the local healthcare systems.

Future of Health Information Exchanges

The size of an HIE also influences its chance of success. The larger the HIE, the more data visualization they’ll have, including social/emergency services, LTPAC, payers on a local level, and the Federal Government/CDC/Public Health officials on a nationwide level. Thus, there will most likely be two separate but ever interconnected services provided by HIEs, local and nationwide.

Locally, it is also likely for HIEs to provide semantic analysis, as well as data housekeeping and longitudinal record keeping, to ensure state governments are engaged, building strong local relationships.

Conclusively, there is no doubt that the goal of achieving a healthier US and meeting the HITECH Act and the Triple Aim objectives will all go through more and more integrated HIEs, hopefully on a federal level within the next decade. 

HIEs are an important part of the US health care system and are actively encouraged by both state governments and the federal government, particularly in light of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Going forward, the challenges will be differentiating the HIEs by services and scaling these up as necessitated by the market requirements, hopefully under nationwide operability. 

Ultimately, HIEs are here to stay and will become progressively more important the closer and tighter the global interconnectedness becomes. The time is now to join an HIE and start reaping the benefits of data sharing and data analytics. The days of data silos and faxes are long gone, and those left behind by HIEs will have a progressively harder time catching up with the bus of 21st century US healthcare, driven by triple aim and value-based purchasing.

References:

Tortolero GA, Brown MR, Sharma SV, et al. Leveraging a health information exchange for analyses of COVID-19 outcomes, including an example application using smoking history and mortality, PLOS ONE, 16(6), e0247235, 2021.

https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-and-health-information-exchange-basics/health-information-exchange

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/life-sciences-health-care/deloitte-effective-epr-implementations-interoperability-and-system-integration.pdf

Topics: Provider/Physician, Consultant, Practice Manager

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