Deciding Whether to Participate in an HIE
Participating in a health information exchange provides exceptional value to both the health care providers and the community.
- “In a recent six country survey of patients with chronic illnesses, U.S. patients were most likely to report that when they received care from multiple physicians, test results or medical records were not available at the time of their appointments.” - Chen A, Kushel M, et.al. “A Safety-Net System Gains Efficiencies Through 'eReferrals' To Specialists.” Health Affairs, 29, no.5 (2010):969-971.
- “2-person specialty practice saved 1.5 hours of staff time per week by using an HIE to receive laboratory results.” - eHealth Initiative. eHealth Initiative releases results from 2008 survey on health information exchange. Survey links health IT to lower cost and improved outcomes. Available at http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/ehealth-initiative-releases-results-2008-survey-healthinformation-exchange.html-0. Accessed 24 July 2010.
- Participation in HIEs can improve access to test results and other data from outside the practice, improve referral processes and claims processing, and decrease staff time required for handling these processes. Improvements to the referral process include reductions in the numbers of return visits to the emergency department, misdirected referrals, and specialty follow-up visits. - Fontaine P, Ross S, et.al. “Systematic Review of Health Information Exchange in Primary Care Practices” J Am Board Fam Med 2010;23:655– 670.
- People with chronic diseases are the heaviest users of medical care, especially those with multiple chronic diseases, who account for 80 percent of home health visits, 67 percent of prescriptions, 48 percent of physician visits and 56 percent of inpatient hospital stays. The challenge of coordinating services among these providers is daunting: While the average Medicare beneficiary sees six or seven physicians annually, individuals with five chronic conditions see up to 14 physicians and have an average of 37 physician visits annually. People with five chronic conditions fill up to 50 different prescriptions each year. - Anderson, G. & J. Horvath (2004). "The growing burden of chronic disease in America." Public Health Rep 119(3): 263-270.
Why the Great Lakes Health Information Exchange?
Great Lakes Health Information Exchange (GLHIE) provides a range of services to support the movement towards a collaborative and patient-centered view of health care information in our community. Understanding that health information technology is complex and always changing, the GLHIE seeks to provide a continuum of value - from physicians just getting their first computer, to hospitals and large practices already well along the path regarding EMR use. GLHIE is committed to meeting the informational needs of the health care providers and to support their efforts to meet meaningful use of electronic medical records and other pay for performance requirements. For more information, click here.