Information sharing is front and center in the healthcare industry today, with many organizations debating how to best create and sustain an effective information sharing platform. A robust data repository, or a health information exchange (HIE), can be the linchpin in sharing information across the care continuum and different care settings. Those working on achieving this goal often stumble upon some common misconceptions that might delay launch or prevent successful operation of an HIE. Let’s look more closely at three of these myths and consider how an organization can better realize its HIE goals.
· Myth One: A successful HIE requires the most advanced technology.
When embarking on an HIE initiative, healthcare organizations frequently focus too much time and effort on rigorous technology evaluations, looking for the most sophisticated system before proceeding with any HIE development. However, establishing relationships, locking in processes to deliver actionable data, and developing a strategy for sustainability contribute more to the success of a fledgling HIE than simply focusing on having the most advanced technology platform. Though the technology powering HIEs is incredibly important, it’s essential to first make sure to be prepped from an organizational standpoint in order to create a viable business model and deliver true value.
By concentrating on earning strong community support, developing the right legal data sharing agreements, crafting comprehensive operational processes and building strategic relationships, an organization can lay the groundwork for a useful HIE. With that strong foundation, maximizing your technology platform can be a later step once the exchange is up and running.
· Myth Two: There are no data sharing standards to support an HIE.
As one industry pundit satirically quipped, “The great thing about standards is that we have so many of them.” The fact is virtually all data interfaces conform to some industry standard, whether HL7, CDA, X12, or something else. The real issue is that hospitals, practices and vendors choose to implement those standards in various ways, configuring workflows and systems to meet the particular needs of the organization rather than a consistent standard across the board.
True plug-and-play technology for which some are waiting will require a level of uniformity the healthcare industry is simply not ready to adopt. For example, every hospital or practice has its own preference for workflow, nomenclature and charting. As payers exert more control and Meaningful Use begins to limit the choices providers have in relation to these standards, data exchange may become more uniform. Until that occurs, however, organizations will always work to customize interfaces, which naturally brings adherence to different standards.
That said, providers should not wait for ubiquitous standards before standing up an HIE. Rather, they should work with current formats and leverage available tools to efficiently create workable interfaces.
· Myth Three: In an HIE, just sharing data is sufficient.
Many early HIEs began with the premise that sharing a longitudinal view of a patient with data from multiple organizations across the care continuum was the ultimate goal. Unfortunately, this assumption did not deliver sufficient clinical or financial benefits. In fact, some of these pioneers did not survive past their initial funding, and when the grant money went away, so did they. While sharing data is certainly a prerequisite to success, to achieve long-term viability, HIEs need to make the data actionable and perform higher-level functions with the information that bring value to participating organizations.
For instance, an HIE can alert physicians to a patient’s admission or discharge from an acute care facility, informing the provider’s workflow and helping him or her better respond to care transitions. This allows a provider to offer timely follow-up care to ensure the health of the patient and bring revenue to the organization.
Similarly, as value-based care drives requirements for analytics and quality reporting, HIEs can take in data, perform key analytics and deliver reports that help providers increase their quality scores.
Achieving Success Today
Once an organization gets past the above-mentioned myths, it can begin the process of building a high-value platform. A first step is to acquire sufficient amounts of health data. To do this, HIE creators will need to build personal and business relationships with healthcare organizations. For instance, cultivating relationships with local and state governments to build regulatory and community support for the initiative is key. From there, they can work to craft a plan to use the data in useful and innovative ways.
Once the HIE is operational, it should continue to look for ways to supply enhanced service offerings. For example, a new HIE should frequently reach out to hospitals and provider organizations to uncover pain points and identify opportunities to improve workflows or create efficiencies in other ways.
Ultimately, to be profitable in today’s market, an HIE should strive to efficiently facilitate care coordination across an entire healthcare community where all participants work towards the higher goals of improving quality while lowering cost. Although new technology can make a system faster and more efficient, delivering value in the form of actionable data is the key to prolonged sustainability.
