Category Archives: HIE

State Experts Issue Recommendations for Implementing Electronic Health Information Exchange

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Latest State Alliance for e-Health Report Offers Guidance for States on Health IT
Release in conjunction with  August 7, 2009 forum (see below)
“A new report from the State Alliance for e-Health, Preparing to Implement HITECH: A State Guide for Electronic Health Information Exchange (PDF) , aims to help states lead the way in using health IT and HIE and guide them as they begin instituting the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act” according to press release from National Governors Association issued August 4, 2009.

“The State Alliance for e-Health, a consensus-based, executive-level body composed of governors, state legislators, attorney generals and state commissioners, was created by the NGA Center for Best Practices in 2006 to address the unique role states can play in facilitating adoption of health IT and HIE.”

“The report recommends actions states should begin undertaking now to successfully implement the HITECH Act, including:
–Preparing or updating the state plan for HIE adoption;
–Engaging stakeholders;
–Establishing a state leadership office to manage the different phases of HIE implementation;
–Preparing state agencies to participate; implementing privacy strategies and reforms;
–Determining the HIE business model;
–Creating a communications strategy; and
–Establishing opportunities for health IT training and education.

Reviews three different HIE models:
1. Government-led electronic HIE
2. Electronic HIE as a public utility with strong state oversight
3. Private sector-led electronic HIE with government collaboration
Review of these models, which may be also basis for hybrids, are based on research conducted at University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Health Policy for State Alliance.

NGA Press release.
State Guide Report (pdf).
NGA/State Alliance for e-Health Web site and resources.

Diane Manos, Senior Editor of Healthcare IT News reported August 6, 2009 “State Alliance for e-Health issues HIT exchange guidance.”

State Alliance for e-Health: August 7, 2009 Meeting
Burlington, VT and via Web
Public meeting with keynote from David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), at 9:15 am,  is available for view on Web. Live version 9:00 am to 4:00pm.
The State Alliance conference agenda will cover the following topics of special interest:
–Project accomplishments to date
–The future of e-health
–Preparing to implement HITECH
–Meaningful use and data to improve quality and transparency
–Health care transformation 
AGENDA (pdf)
Webcast Archives: http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/nga/090807

HIE Related Documents
Markle’s Connecting for Health Common Framerwork, NGA/U of Mass Public Governance for Sustainable HIE, NJ’s Vision for 21st Century Healthcare, and HISPC’s Action and Implementation Manual
http://www.e-healthcaremarketing.com/archives/438

eHi’s 2009 Survey of HIEs; HIEs in NY, Connecticut, and Michigan HIEs in Week of HIEs Post
http://www.e-healthcaremarketing.com/archives/642

Week of Healthcare Information Exchanges

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Survey: Number of Health Data Exchanges Up 40% Since 2008
iHealthBeat summarizes stories from Healthcare IT News and Health Data Management from July 22, 2009 summarizing eHealth Initiative’s Sixth Annual Survey of Health Information Exchange, researchers examined 150 qualifying health data exchanges. They found 57 operational data exchanges, compared to 42 in 2008.

SURVEY REPORT: “Migrating Toward Meaningful Use: The State of Health Information Exchange” (pdf) 
The report includes four case studies:
–HealthBridge – Cincinnati, OH (pdf)
–Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange (LARHIX) - Pride, LA (pdf)
–MedVirginia – Richmond, VA (pdf)
–Michiana Health Information Network – South Bend, IN (pdf)

REPORT SUMMARY from eHealth Initiative: “National Health Information Exchange Survey Shows Increased Activity, Cost Savings, Positive Impact on Physician Practices” “The survey shows the potential for health information exchange to improve efficiency and reduce health care costs nationwide. We have real examples where care delivery was improved and cost savings found,” said Jennifer Covich, Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO at eHI.

DIRECTORY OF HIE Initiatives by STATE as of July 23, 2009: New Jersey listing appears to need corrections.
TO ADD HIEs to eHealth Initiative Directory, complete this linked form, and eHI will review prior to any posting.

Michigan Looking To Launch Regional Health Information Exchanges
iHealthBeat collects reports from Michigan newspapers on July 24, 2009.

Health Centers Launch EHR Data Exchanges in Connecticut, N.Y. City
iHealthBeat collects reports from Healthcare IT News and Health Data Management (July 21, 20, 2009) on the  ”Transforming Healthcare In Connecticut Communities” (THICC) coalition of 20 hospitals plus “physician practices, employer groups, and insurers to implement a statewide network linking electronic health records.” In New York City, “11 hospitals, a faculty practice organization, a federally qualified health center and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York” started the New York Clinical Information Exchange.

Aligning Health IT and Health Reform

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On July 15, 2009, “Markle Connecting for Health, the Engelberg Center at Brookings, and the Center for American Progress co-host a forum in to explore critical junctures between current health reform efforts and health IT investments” at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC.

Led off by ONC Coordinator, David Blumenthal, speakers are Zoe Baird and Carol Diamond of Markle Foundation; Mark McClellan, Director, Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform and Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair in Health Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution; and Todd Park, Center for American Progress. Panel discussion includes representatives from American Academy of Family Physicians, Consumers Union, National Partnership for Women & Families, Pacific Business Group on Health, and Vermont Health Access.
Archived video of two-hour session.        
Press release (pdf)

CONNECT’09 Seminar: On-ramp for Fed Agencies

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CONNECT ’09 Seminar, June 29-30, 2009
Seminar Agenda with Links to Presentations
What’s New in ONC Presentation: Insight into Emerging Policy (pdf)
“If the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) is the information highway for health data exchange, CONNECT is the universal on-ramp for federal agencies. CONNECT is a software solution that lets federal agencies securely link their existing systems to the NHIN. More than 20 federal agencies collaborated to build CONNECT through the Federal Health Architecture (FHA), and as a result, agencies are heading down the road toward interoperability.”
CONNECT Community Portal: http://www.connectopensource.org

Key EHR and Health IT Documents/Reports

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Action and Implementation Manual (AIM) from ONC’s HISPC
How-to guide for state actions and multi-state cooperation for health care privacy and security issues, released in June 2009 by Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC). See these two links to access related stories and AIM report.
AIM: http://www.e-healthcaremarketing.com/archives/259
Articles: http://www.e-healthcaremarketing.com/archives/222
Provider Tool Kit: http://www.secure4health.org

          Background to Complicated Game of HISPC Privacy and Security Collaboratives:
          Written by Journal of AHIMA staff writer Chris Dimick, for May 2009 issue, article describes three years of work that culminated in handoff of Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC). 

Connecting for Health Common Framework
from Markel Foundation
“The Connecting for Health Common Framework: Resources for Implementing Private and Secure Health Information Exchange is a set of free resources for individuals and organizations interested and ready to create private and secure health information exchange. The approach is such that information exchange can take place among existing and future health care networks over the Internet if all participants adhere to a small set of shared rules.” Produced by public-private collaborative of over 100 organizations led by the Markle Foundation, Connecting for Health is led and managed by Markle staff, and funded by Markle and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Common Framework Pages:
Connecting Professionals: Private and Secure Information Exchange
Connecting Consumers: Network Personal Health Information
Connecting All Health Decision Makers: Population Data Analysis and Action

NGA /U. of Massachusetts Medical School Report on
Public Governance Models for a Sustainable Health Information Exchange Industry
John Thomasian, director of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, the organizing body for the State Alliance for e-Health said on February 24, 2009 “This report can serve as a valuable starting point for states as they consider governance strategies for building, sustaining, and protecting a system to support electronic health record.”

“The report details three conceptual models of public governance that could lead to the practice of sustainable HIE and delves into specific rationale and description, legal structure and financing and accountability considerations for each model.”
Press Release: “States Play Critical Role in Advancing Health Information Technology” February 24, 2009
Report to the State Alliance for E-Health (pdf)       Appendices (pdf)
Slides for February 24, 2009 State Alliance Meeting (pdf)
Conference Webcast

An Information Infrastructure for New Jersey Healthcare:
A Vision for 21st Century Health Care System (pdf)
Section V, Chapter 16 from the 2008 Final Report of  New Jersey
Commission on Rationalizing Health Care Resources
“This chapter briefly explores the reasons for the lack of adequate information systems in health care, sketches the vision of a 21st Century health-care information system, examines how much of that vision  has been achieved by now in New Jersey or is actively being pursued, and finally offers some recommendations to move New Jersey health care towrd an information platform that adequately serves the state’s people.”
Final Subcommittee Report with List of its Members (pdf)