HIEs expand to 255 to meet health system changes

The number of health information exchanges has increased by 9 percent to 255 in 2011 from 234 last year, with a rising tide of patient data being shared as physicians and hospitals strive to meet the requirements of a changing healthcare system.

Over the past year, at least 10 health information exchanges (HIEs) have closed or consolidated and 46 new initiatives responded to its annual survey, according to a report released July 14 from the eHealth Initiative (eHI), a non-profit that advocates for health information exchange. Of the total, 24 HIEs said that they have sustainable business models to maintain operations, up from 18 in 2010.

The top types of data exchanged are laboratory results, medication data, outpatient lab results and radiology results, according to the survey. The leading functionalities provided by advanced HIEs are connectivity to EHRs, a master patient index and test results delivery.

The report documents the growing pains that HIEs are experiencing as they deal with competing timelines to meet federal requirements for the meaningful use of electronic health records, integrate complex systems and navigate the uncertain future of accountable care organizations (ACOs).