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Health Information Exchange
Vision
Although the United States has one of the most technologically advanced health care systems in the world, it relies predominantly on a 19th century record keeping system. Electronic health records that can exchange information across delivery settings will help improve the quality and efficiency of care. The Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation is working collaboratively to make Oregonians’ health record information available to them and their providers anytime and anywhere it is needed, while assuring that records are confidential and secure at all times.
We work with health care providers, health plans, employers, consumers, government, and other partners to realize the benefits of electronic health information exchange (HIE), while assuring the privacy and security of individuals’ health care information.
Building a Health Information System
In our current (non)system a patient’s health information is:
Scattered across different hospitals, labs, physician offices, and many other care settings;
Inaccessible to the patient and other providers who may need it in different care settings;
Incomplete, fragmented, and difficult to aggregate.
As a result, information needed by providers to care for their patients is often not available at the point and time of care when it is most useful. Services are unnecessarily duplicated. Staff waste time tracking down information. Patients are at best inconvenienced, and at worst inappropriately treated. Care is delayed. Most of all, we fail to capitalize on the tremendous potential that computer technology offers to guide care and prevent errors. The real impact on our region is that:
The quality of our care is lower.
The cost of providing care is higher.
Benefits and Costs of Building a Health Information System
Large up-front financial costs and misaligned business incentives present significant barriers to implementing the system we need. Working with the Office of Health Policy and Research, the Quality Corp secured funding from the Northwest Health Foundation and the Oregon Department of Human Services Medical Assistance Program to explore this problem. The resulting report, Potential Impact of Widespread Adoption of Advanced Health Information Technologies on Oregon Health Expenditures, quantifies the potential impact of these advanced systems on Oregon’s health spending. The net potential savings are between $1.0 and $1.3 billion annually. This level of savings would yield a net reduction of 4.3% to 5.9% on Oregon’s health expenditures. Such savings are possible within 12 years with aggressive implementation efforts. Understanding the financial savings and costs, and how they accrue to stakeholders is important in identifying incremental steps in working toward widespread implementation. To view the full report, click here.
Beginning a Health Information Exchange
The Health Care Task Force of the Oregon Business Council (OBC) contracted with the Quality Corp to support a team to explore how to begin building a system for sharing health information in the Portland Metropolitan area. The Quality Corp’s staff helped the OBC team explore 18 options for initiating an exchange system. The report recommended that data sharing begin with information that is stable (does not change) and is already in an electronic format. A pilot project that shares lab results, imaging reports and summaries of hospital and emergency room visits has a positive return on investment by helping patients receive faster, better, and unduplicated care. The team presents these recommendations in more detail in the OR Health Information Exchange Options report.
Mobilization for Health Information Exchange
The Metropolitan Portland Health Information Exchange Mobilization Plan, business and operational plans, and accompanying documents provide all the necessary first steps for implementing a results and reports viewing system.
Building community systems for health information exchange is a rapidly evolving field. In creating this plan we relied heavily on generous contributions from experts and pioneers. View all components of the MPHIE Mobilization Plan. Other communities and projects are encouraged to use and build on these. The Quality Corp would appreciate citation and receipt of documents that improve upon our work.
Health Information Exchange
Vision
Although the United States has one of the most technologically advanced health care systems in the world, it relies predominantly on a 19th century record keeping system. Electronic health records that can exchange information across delivery settings will help improve the quality and efficiency of care. The Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation is working collaboratively to make Oregonians’ health record information available to them and their providers anytime and anywhere it is needed, while assuring that records are confidential and secure at all times.
We work with health care providers, health plans, employers, consumers, government, and other partners to realize the benefits of electronic health information exchange (HIE), while assuring the privacy and security of individuals’ health care information.
Building a Health Information System
In our current (non)system a patient’s health information is:
As a result, information needed by providers to care for their patients is often not available at the point and time of care when it is most useful. Services are unnecessarily duplicated. Staff waste time tracking down information. Patients are at best inconvenienced, and at worst inappropriately treated. Care is delayed. Most of all, we fail to capitalize on the tremendous potential that computer technology offers to guide care and prevent errors. The real impact on our region is that:
Benefits and Costs of Building a Health Information System
Large up-front financial costs and misaligned business incentives present significant barriers to implementing the system we need. Working with the Office of Health Policy and Research, the Quality Corp secured funding from the Northwest Health Foundation and the Oregon Department of Human Services Medical Assistance Program to explore this problem. The resulting report, Potential Impact of Widespread Adoption of Advanced Health Information Technologies on Oregon Health Expenditures, quantifies the potential impact of these advanced systems on Oregon’s health spending. The net potential savings are between $1.0 and $1.3 billion annually. This level of savings would yield a net reduction of 4.3% to 5.9% on Oregon’s health expenditures. Such savings are possible within 12 years with aggressive implementation efforts. Understanding the financial savings and costs, and how they accrue to stakeholders is important in identifying incremental steps in working toward widespread implementation. To view the full report, click here.
Beginning a Health Information Exchange
The Health Care Task Force of the Oregon Business Council (OBC) contracted with the Quality Corp to support a team to explore how to begin building a system for sharing health information in the Portland Metropolitan area. The Quality Corp’s staff helped the OBC team explore 18 options for initiating an exchange system. The report recommended that data sharing begin with information that is stable (does not change) and is already in an electronic format. A pilot project that shares lab results, imaging reports and summaries of hospital and emergency room visits has a positive return on investment by helping patients receive faster, better, and unduplicated care. The team presents these recommendations in more detail in the OR Health Information Exchange Options report.
Mobilization for Health Information Exchange
The Metropolitan Portland Health Information Exchange Mobilization Plan, business and operational plans, and accompanying documents provide all the necessary first steps for implementing a results and reports viewing system.
Building community systems for health information exchange is a rapidly evolving field. In creating this plan we relied heavily on generous contributions from experts and pioneers. View all components of the MPHIE Mobilization Plan. Other communities and projects are encouraged to use and build on these. The Quality Corp would appreciate citation and receipt of documents that improve upon our work.