Expanded exchange efforts
There has been significant collaboration on the health information exchange front over the past month with regional HIEs merging, states linking data and a new strategic relationship that aims to streamline connectivity between EHRs and HIEs.
The EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup (IWG), HIMSS and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) have joined together to test and certify EHR and HIE vendors that perform reliable data transfer within and across organizational and state boundaries. The organizations also seek to expedite consensus on national standards, adopting EHR certification criteria and testing procedures as relevant for Stage 2 Meaningful Use.
Each participating collaborator has designated contributions.
The collaboration affects half of the U.S. population, as their healthcare providers will have the ability to access health data shared across states and systems, according to the organizations.
“By making it easier for electronic health record systems to communicate, this new collaboration will help fulfill the promise of health information exchange, improving patient care and lowering healthcare costs,” said Dave Whitlinger, executive director of the New York-eHealth Collaborative and coordinator of the Statewide Health Information Network of New York, in a statement.
Do you think these expanded efforts in data exchange will impact patient care? Please share your thoughts.
Beth Walsh
Clinical Innovation + Technology editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.