RE: Overview of the Healthcare Information Exchange (HIE)
Healthcare Information Exchange commonly abbreviated as HIE is a system through which healthcare professionals share critical information about patients which will aid in the delivery of quality healthcare services (HIMSS, 2009). This exchange system is automated and managed by formal organizations called Healthcare Information Organizations (HIO) subject to state and federal laws. HIOs ensure that patient information is accessed and retrieved only by authorized users and the information is safely stored away from individuals who may use it for illegal purposes (HIMSS, 2009). Some of the information about patients that is shared include; laboratory reports, previous and current medications, previous and current conditions and data from healthcare insurance providers.
Most of these HIE platforms are organized and operated in specific geographical regions to serve the doctors, nurses, physicians, lab technicians and other healthcare professionals of a given community. However, some HIE platforms are more advanced and may serve the entire state or operate on a national level (The Evolution of Health Information Exchange, 2016). In spite of the hesitance by many professionals and patients to adopt HIE since it poses a threat to the privacy of critical information about patients, HIE has accrued many benefits to those who have adopted it. Patients have continued to enjoy improved healthcare as a result of informed decisions made by their doctors due to the availability of information. HIE has also helped healthcare professionals to; improve their diagnoses, reduce readmissions, avoid medication errors and reduce duplicate testing (Smith, Hoyt, & Matthews, 2013).
In the state of Kentucky, HIE is organized by the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE) which was institutionalized by an executive order in 2009 (Kentucky: Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Kentucky Health Information Exchange, 2016). KHIE is managed by the Division of Kentucky Electronic Health Information in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The main components of KHIE include an expert patient file, records locator administration, security, supplier-client confirmation, logging, reviews and alarms. KHIE focuses on improving the prosperity, quality and security of social healthcare data for Kentucky's occupants and guests through a statewide, easily-operable healthcare data exchange (Kentucky: Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Kentucky Health Information Exchange, 2016). In conclusion, HIE should be embraced by all healthcare professionals since it has proven to be a critical tool in this modern day healthcare practice (What to Expect from Your HIE, 2015). Safer and more secure systems are being developed to ensure the privacy of the information shared and as such any doubts about HIE should be dismissed (Health Information Exchange: Making a Difference, 2016).
References
Health Information Exchange: Making a Difference. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmrgAjJXHUU
A HIMSS Guide to Participating in a Health Information Exchange. (2009) (1st ed.).
Kentucky: Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Kentucky Health Information Exchange. (2016). Chfs.ky.gov. Retrieved from http://chfs.ky.gov/os/goehi/
The Evolution of Health Information Exchange. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/brDArXqRH2c
What to Expect From Your HIE. (2015) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.ehidc.org/resources/114-what-to-expect-from-your-hie
Smith, C., Hoyt, J., & Matthews, P. (2013). Health Information Exchanges: Helping Hospitals Harness the Power of IT (1st ed.).
