In a move aimed to unify and improve health information exchanges nationally, about 20 HIEs have formed a national trade organization. Named the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative, the organization intends to focus on promoting joint ventures and best practices.

"We believe that there are valuable services that a national consortium can provide to member HIEs," said SHIEC chair Dick Thompson in a statement.

[See also: 'Jury still out' on HIE sustainability]

Thompson, who is also executive director of the Quality Health Network in Colorado, said those include achieving economies of scale, HIE sustainability, raising awareness of HIEs among public and private entities, establishing joint ventures, and collaborating to inform legislators of the benefits

“In addition, we would like a trade organization that speaks for HIEs exclusively and is focused solely on helping HIEs fulfill their community mission,” Thompson said.

SHIEC already has in place an organization structure with an elected board of directors. An executive director will be named in early 2015.

[See also: HIEs seeking answers to sustainability]

Among the participating HIEs in the consortium are the Arizona Health-e Connection; Healthbridge, of Ohio; HealtheLINK, of Western New York; Nebraska Health Information Initiative; New York University Langone Medical Center; Quality Health Network; and Utah Health Information Network.

“We hope to include many other HIEs who share the idea that by working more closely together we can achieve more,” Thompson added.