Survey: Majority of CIOs feel positively about HIEs
Healthcare consulting firm Beacon Partners surveyed more than 200 healthcare executives to determine the value of and interest in health information exchanges (HIEs). Despite concerns, the survey concluded that there was an overall positive opinion regarding the benefits of HIEs with 70 percent of executives reporting that they felt positively about HIEs.
According to a report published in January, the majority of respondents (58 percent) were CIOs, although responses came from a range of executives, including chief financial officers, chief medical officers, chief operating officers and chief executive officers. Additionally, a majority of respondents were employed in community hospitals and, regarding revenues, the largest group came from hospitals with net patient service revenues of less than $50 million.
While 64 percent of respondents said that the CIO was responsible for HIE development within their organization, 46 percent reported that their organization did not have a department or oversight group to oversee the initiative.
Asked about their HIE development concerns, the largest group of respondents (41 percent) reported that high start-up costs were their biggest concern. Regarding budgets for developing HIEs, 38 percent reported less than $1 million, fewer than 10 percent reported more than $3 million and 21 percent reported that they did not have a budget for HIE development, the Weymouth, Mass.-based Beacon reported.
Despite the fact that 46 percent of respondents reported that they had not created a department of oversight group for HIE development, 67 percent of respondents reported that they are currently planning or building a HIE infrastructure. Those respondents that reported the existence of a department or oversight group were more likely to be further along in the HIE development process: 68 percent of those with oversight were currently using a HIE compared to 32 percent without.
When respondents were provided with a list of 10 reasons to build a HIE and asked to score the items in order of importance, patient safety received the highest grade with an average rank of 7.7 out of 10. Consistent and accessible patient data was scored the second most important item on average. Staying competitive in the marketplace was graded the least important reason for HIE development with an average score of 3.98.
The survey results are available in their entirety here.
According to a report published in January, the majority of respondents (58 percent) were CIOs, although responses came from a range of executives, including chief financial officers, chief medical officers, chief operating officers and chief executive officers. Additionally, a majority of respondents were employed in community hospitals and, regarding revenues, the largest group came from hospitals with net patient service revenues of less than $50 million.
While 64 percent of respondents said that the CIO was responsible for HIE development within their organization, 46 percent reported that their organization did not have a department or oversight group to oversee the initiative.
Asked about their HIE development concerns, the largest group of respondents (41 percent) reported that high start-up costs were their biggest concern. Regarding budgets for developing HIEs, 38 percent reported less than $1 million, fewer than 10 percent reported more than $3 million and 21 percent reported that they did not have a budget for HIE development, the Weymouth, Mass.-based Beacon reported.
Despite the fact that 46 percent of respondents reported that they had not created a department of oversight group for HIE development, 67 percent of respondents reported that they are currently planning or building a HIE infrastructure. Those respondents that reported the existence of a department or oversight group were more likely to be further along in the HIE development process: 68 percent of those with oversight were currently using a HIE compared to 32 percent without.
When respondents were provided with a list of 10 reasons to build a HIE and asked to score the items in order of importance, patient safety received the highest grade with an average rank of 7.7 out of 10. Consistent and accessible patient data was scored the second most important item on average. Staying competitive in the marketplace was graded the least important reason for HIE development with an average score of 3.98.
The survey results are available in their entirety here.