ONC strategies aid health care industry with HIE expansion
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT published a report to Congress, "Update on the Adoption of Health Information Technology and Related Efforts to Facilitate the Electronic Use and Exchange of Health Information," that highlights its plans to increase health information exchange.
Providers have recently started working hard to enhance electronic health record interoperability and HIE to make the large amounts of health data gathered from patients shareable. The report offers policy guidance on how to support HIEs and improve health IT systems.
The barriers between providers and HIE
The number of providers and hospitals that have adopted EHR systems has soared over the past few years. EHR Intelligence noted that this significant increase started after the federal government implemented the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act.
Another factor that has influenced providers to adopt health IT is the incentives offered by the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. However, the industry still has a ways to go in terms of eliminating the obstacles in the way of sharing health data across widespread organizations. If patients were to require medical assistance in a state other than the one where their doctor is located, their regular physician may not be informed of the hospital visit. It is likely that they would not be able to access their patient's new medical data either.
The ONC's report explained that any barriers in the way of increasing EHR implementation are going to ultimately impact the industry's success at improving HIE. Some of these obstacles currently include the cost of implementing health IT, finding a system that supports practice needs and the time that goes into EHR training.
This is why it is essential to choose an EHR vendor that offers support during the initial process and systems with customization features to cater to practices of all sizes and preferences. According to an ONC data brief, despite the multiple barriers, in 2013 over 50 percent of hospitals used at least basic EHR technology and 8 in 10 physicians were using an EHR system or were planning on adopting one.
ONC plans strategies for HIE expansion
In its report, the ONC stated that inconsistent structure, medical vocabulary used for different EHR systems and format are a few of the factors responsible for the insufficient HIE within the health care sector. The organization highlighted a few steps that the Department of Health and Human Services should take to enhance EHR interoperability.
One action the ONC urges the HHS to take is developing new standards that are crucial to the creation of a health care system that is interconnected. It also wants the HHS to require more employees in the health IT workforce to assist in the implementation of EHRs. The HHS should also advise, collaborate and share studies with providers, states and communities, stimulating IT solutions in the field.
The recently proposed stage 3 meaningful use standards are focused on supporting the expansion of HIE. For now, the ONC is hoping that stage 2 MU requirements will accelerate the data exchange network across the health care sector. The ONC also hopes that the new strategies will aid the HHS in catalyzing the advancement of HIE and health IT adoption throughout the country.
