HIEs Improved In 2014

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

According to a report from The Louis W. Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation, HIEs improved in several areas in 2014, including data exchange.

A report released by the Louis W. Sullivan Institute for Healthcare Innovation found that HIEs have made big improvements in 2014, compared to a WEDI report from the previous year. The 2013 report, according to EHR Intelligence, listed four key areas of improvement:

• patient engagement
• payment models
• data harmonization and exchange
• innovative encounter models

The 2014 report states that the industry has improved in each of these areas. With regards to patient engagement, the report’s authors wrote, “There has been continued momentum in patient information capture and patient identification. Private sector efforts, combined with a new federal vision and roadmap for health IT, are deemed to be on pace with meeting WEDI recommendations.” In this area, they assigned a “green” progress rating.

Innovative encounter models also received a “green” rating because, “Given the explosive growth of diverse innovative encounters in 2014, it is expected that federal legislation, reimbursement policies, and consumer demand for services such as telehealth will further advance in 2015.”

Payment models and data harmonization and exchange revived “yellow” ratings, meaning that while there has been progress in these areas, it has been limited.

iHealth Beat reports that additionally, the report recommends stakeholders continue developing systems to capture patient data, including using mobile devices to improve health information access and exchange. In addition, patient identifiers should be used to help standardize patient identification among various health records distributed to multiple medical facilities and an effort should be made to increase health IT literacy and education programs.

The report concludes, “Looking ahead to 2015, new regulations and legislation are expected to further guide stakeholders towards a sustainable health IT infrastructure. Innovative technologies will continue to be developed, implemented, and scaled across the public and private sectors that reshape the healthcare landscape. Consumers will play a greater role in their care, and stakeholders will continue to harmonize data and standards to permit better access to electronic information.”