In addition to playing a crucial role in transforming the healthcare industry by enabling the sharing of information between disparate clinical systems and stakeholders, Health information exchanges (HIEs) offer patients a unique and convenient method in deciding how their health data is exchanged. They offer significant benefits and can result in improved patient care and reduced healthcare costs across a large geographic area. Most importantly, they are able to provide complete and accurate patient data, resulting in a more coordinated care process.
While the number and breadth of HIEs is growing across the United States, the issue of privacy and security offered by them has become a hot topic. Just as an HIE enables an environment with new capabilities and opportunities, it also brings about new challenges. To address these challenges, HIEs must have safeguards and guidelines in place to ensure high levels of privacy and security across the board. Although such guidelines are not foolproof, they serve to heighten the level of patient trust, which in turn adds to the success of HIEs. Read the rest of this entry »