At the core of Health Information Exchange (HIE) is a sharing of electronic information between organizations. Because of the power and complexity that’s possible with Electronic Health Records (EHR), countries and organizations continue to invest significant time and resources to achieve the level of interconnectivity that’s essential.
Technological innovation includes features of machine learning, strategic API development and deployment, shared transactions, interoperability, dynamic artificial intelligence functionality, more dynamic record retrieval, and beyond.
The future of HIE looks a lot of like the reality of current capabilities available via ChartSwap, a single platform resource that already allows requests to request, track, pay for and download records. The HIE use and exchange of data (admissions, transfers, and discharge) are already growing by leaps and bounds every year (estimates indicate a growth of 95% in a year); and those transfer rates will only increase in the future.
The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) first defined the Health Information Exchange as an “electronic movement,” following national standards for health organizations. The term is usually used in connection with information sharing and record retrieval, but organizations that have participated in the HIE standards have experienced significant growth over the years since the first adoption.
It just makes sense. EHRs, and other technologically advanced devices and procedures, streamline practice management, but also support communication, interconnectivity, and better allocation of resources.
Since the very beginning, some HIEs have used by state government groups, while private companies run others. So, it supports the facilitation of cross-functional communication and the sharing of clinical information within the requirements of HIPAA compliance. From the beginning, the HIE has been used by hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health agencies, clinics, and labs. They are the entities that both need, and are in the best position to benefit from the strategic sharing of information.
The proliferation of state-of-the-art platforms like ChartSwap allows providers to share test results, allergic reactions, current medications, and other clinical data, which can be a matter of life-or-death — all at the click of a button.
With greater access and confidentiality features, the future Health Information Exchanges will continue to support safe and effective care that continues to be ever-more personalized for and targeted to patient medical, health, and wellness needs.
The essential goals of high-quality services are to be cost-effective and streamlined. With improved monitoring, increased reporting, and seamless interoperability, these technological innovations support the ever-evolving initiatives in health care. The future also involves ease-of-use, reduced redundancy, and greater accessibility both for medical providers and patients.
The problem in health care is that a patient with direst health concerns does not have time to wait in a waiting room or in the back office for a doctor to diagnose the issue. The Health Information Exchange expedites the process, allowing doctors to (hopefully) determine the cause for the ailment right away.
That gives them more time, and time is precious. Beyond the niceties of jumping the treatment protocol forward as much as possible (because they have all the health and medical information at their fingertips), it also means that doctors and medical providers can offer more accurate diagnosis and treatment, which leads to a higher quality of care, and a healthier and happier life.
A HIE is a partnership. It’s an agreement. It’s an accessible network of record retrieval, which gives doctors access to the data they need, and also allows patients to drive their own health and healing journey, with the “real” facts. It’s an exciting time to be alive because patients are able to ask questions, dig into the data, and determine the path that is best for them and their families.
With HIEs like ChartSwap, technology and data are transforming the dream of health and wellness. It’s changing the healthcare industry in ways once never even imagined. The tools are right there, at the ready. It’s just a matter of embracing the future, realizing the full potential of what’s possible.
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