Mapping the changing state of health information exchange

Mary Stevens, Editor Image source: TriMed Media Group

As CMIO got ready to post this portal content, Indiana announced it has shared de-identified information on  cases of influenza, pneumonia, and influenza-like illness, gathered from 76 EDs across the state, with the Centers for Disease Control. The information was transmitted using the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) framework. In this month’s HIE Q&A feature, a physician in rural Washington describes a community HIE’s efforts to share its immunization data with the state. Although bidirectional exchange isn’t yet occurring, he says, the potential is there.

What of exchanges in the rest of the country? Virginia, California, Indiana, North and South Carolina, Maine, Ohio … the list of this month’s HIE newsmakers goes on. As expected, activity among state systems is heating up, with a plurality of vendors and methods enlisted. Equally interesting is the breadth of federal and state funds these HIEs are harnessing. On the private side, all this activity is spurring consolidation. RelayHealth and Covisint, among other vendors in this space, are getting a little hungrier, buying competitors or complementary technologies.

Call it a RHIO, an HIE or a network, it all spells more information in transit between facilities. What is the state of HIEs in the 50 states? A handy web tool from HIMSS—the HIMSS State HIT Dashboard—can answer this question to some extent. Hover your cursor on any particular state on the dashboard map, and the tool shows you the rudimentary picture of that state’s information exchange efforts, including regional extension centers as well as RHIOs and HIEs.

The dashboard shows California and New York are leading the HIE charge with six HIEs each; right behind is Michigan with five. Most states have one HIE, according to the figures embedded in each state in the dashboard, but it also shows states that currently have no HIE.

I’ll be watching this to see how these numbers change as more information exchanges come online. If you want to see how your back yard compares to others nationwide, you can do that, too. You can also click on “State Legislation Tracker” and the state you select expands, showing where information exchanges are located and what they’re called.

HIMSS has also mapped out the locations of Davies Award winners—why not put health IT innovators on the map, along with their initiatives?

You can do the same for your organization’s HIE drivers—or at least get them some recognition—by contacting me at mstevens@trimedmedia.com.

Mary Stevens, editor