Efforts to improve interoperability and work toward the seamless exchange of information may not be advancing as much as expected and hoped.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--Imagine dealing with two illnesses simultaneously – one behavioral, the other physical. It’s a reality for many. Sixty eight percent of adults with mental health conditions also have medical conditions, according to the American Psychological Association, impacting the healthcare system with high human and financial costs.

Topeka, KS, July 23, 2014 -- Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN), a health information exchange organization (HIO) reaching three million Kansans and ICA, a healthcare information technology company that helps healthcare providers impact the way care teams connect and healthcare is delivered has connected 81 healthcare organization together in Kansas to share critical health and behavioral health information. This achievement expands the ability to collect and securely share patient health information across a varied network of participants with disparate electronic health record systems.

House legislators are asking the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to eliminate penalties on Medicare diagnostic labs that do not update their EHRs, reports The Hill.

EAST LANSING, Mich. and FLORHAM PARK, N.J., July 14, 2014--Following a rigorous competitive evaluation, Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) has designated DataMotion™, an innovative Health Information Service Provider (HISP), as an Approved Direct Vendor (ADV) for MiHIN and the Direct Marketplace for Michigan (DMM). DataMotion's Direct Secure Messaging service will help qualified data sharing organizations and healthcare providers easily and inexpensively exchange health information securely in Michigan in full compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.

Two Michigan health information exchanges have merged to form one of the largest HIEs in the country, serving more than 5 million people.

Only one-third of hospitals in the U.S. engage in health information exchange with unaffiliated providers, according to a study published in the Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation.