Moving the needle
If recent headlines are any indication, health information exchange (HIE) keeps moving the needle.
In 2011, the majority of office-based physicians could exchange lab and medication data, and approximately one-third could exchange clinical summaries with patients or outside providers, according to a study conducted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and published in the American Journal of Managed Care .
Substantial minorities of physicians with no EHR have the ability to send prescriptions or view lab results, highlighting the role that stand-alone e-prescribing products and proprietary portals continue to play in facilitating physician access to pharmacy and lab result data, the report found.
EHR adoption is the strongest factor associated with exchange, especially of clinical summaries. To that end, very few physicians without an EHR have the capability to electronically exchange clinical summaries and lab orders, according to the report.
The report also found that physician exchange capability also varied widely across states, depending on state health IT investment, state legislation and regulations.
Meanwhile, another study found that access to an HIE boosted quality of emergency care and saved more than $1 million in Medicare costs, or $1,947 per patient.
The 12-month study from February 2012 to February 2013 examined 325,740 emergency patient encounters and 7,525 log-ons to an HIE by 231 eligible clinicians at 11 emergency departments in South Carolina. The research team analyzed a sample of 532 Medicare patients from this population who had information available in the HIE and for whom the clinician staff caring for the patients completed a survey.
The study attributed the HIE to savings by avoiding the following types of services:
- Laboratory/microbiology: (187 patients) $2,073
- Radiology: (298 patients) $476,840
- Consultations: (61 patients) $6,461
- Hospital admissions: (56 patients) $551,282
Is your organization feeling the effects of HIE? Please share your experience.
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.