Perspective: A Targeted Approach To HIE And Population Health

Gary Hamilton | Government Health IT | May 3, 2013

Today, the acquisition of patient information for population health management is typically done through Continuity of Care Documents (CCDs). Although the exchange of health information is possible via CCDs, the amount of information they contain can be overwhelming. As such, poring over CCDs to find information relevant to patient populations can be unwieldy and time consuming.

With providers challenged to manage information in just one CCD, how can they hope to use these documents to effectively influence care at the population level? The key is to look for ways to use technology to target specific patient information, pinpoint new and relevant information and alert both patients and providers when updated information is available.

Areas of opportunity

For accountable care organizations and others that rely on data analytics and population health management as core components of their healthcare approach, developing an effective and reliable method for exchanging data across the continuum of care is crucial.