I recently saw this great video demonstrating the value of an HIE. In this case it was created by the New York HIE, SHINY. Check out the video embedded below:
What a great video! I’m looking forward to learning even more about SHINY when I attend the Digital Health Conference in New York City next month. It was a great event last year, and this video is emblematic of the professionalism of the NYeC.
I’ve often said that the problem with HIE isn’t that we don’t see value in it. This video is something any regular patient can understand and see the value of a health information exchange. The problem is in making the exchange a reality. Seems like SHINY is making this a reality for New York state with things like the announcement of the largest New York RHIO, Healthix, Inc, joining SHINY.
I applaud the efforts of SHINY and wish that every state had something similar. We will eventually, but it’s going to take some time as we worth through the processes. Scott Joslyn, CIO of MemorialCare Health System, said it well in an interview on EMR and HIPAA:
New policies and regulations need to be put in place at the Federal level for HIE to truly work. Today, providers are reluctant to consider or embrace HIE because of the financial and reputational risks associated with the idea of sharing patient information. Issues of patient consent management, opt-in vs. opt-out, and privacy create both real and imagined barriers. We need to create a legal and regulatory environment that is receptive and supportive of HIE rather than potentially risky and punitive. As an organization, we participate in local, public HIE efforts while we endeavor connect our systems to affiliated providers to safely and securely make available patient information as our physicians and patients currently demand and expect in the current environment. We’re encouraged by the progress and ongoing regional and national dialog with regard to HIE though we do think it will evolve slowly and unpredictably.