Profile, incorporate, and compare the health information - Essay Example

It allows the electronic sharing of health information between different health information systems while maintaining the integrity of the information being passed across. HIEs connect healthcare providers such as hospitals, pharmacies, labs, ER physicians to access patient information in a resourceful manner to improve the quality of care. HIE also refers to those organizations that facilitate the electronic sharing of health information across systems and organizations. HIE organizations manage and provide support for the commercial and legal issues that can arise during the exchange of information.

These organizations come in several forms and may be private, national or state firms; information can thus be shared only with a single hospital network, across many hospitals in one region or across the state. Another difference between the different HIE organizations is seen in what information is shared e.g. some may share only lab results, or only emergency room records. HIE organizations are key to facilitating the implementation of health information technology to provide quality patient care.

In the United States, a number of such organizations exist that perform several important functions. In this discourse, we will examine the Indiana Health Information Exchange. By exploring the profile of this HIE organization; the author aims to show the core capabilities of this technology, the importance of electronic information systems and the necessity of understanding that technology. Indiana HIE The Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) is one of the largest HIE in the United States, and also the oldest.

It is a non-for-profit organization that connects more than 80 hospitals and over 19,000 doctors in Indiana, including long-term care facilities and rehabilitation centres to share health information on more than 10 million patients as and when needed (Finn, 2011; Biever, 2013). The organization administrates the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC), which is a protected network that shares electronic health records to involved physicians and other healthcare providers. Launched by the Regenstrief Institute (which specializes in medical informatics research), local hospitals and other partners, IHIE provides useful health information technologies and tools to patients in Indiana as it aims to mitigate the high costs of quality healthcare.

For instance, if a patient is admitted to a hospital, the INPC presents a clinical abstract of the patient’s medical history-provided the patient had ever visited a networked hospital- even if the patient has never received treatment from that hospital before. This saves time in treatment and avoids duplicate testing thus saving costs. The INPC contains records of more than 80% instances of medical care provided within participating hospitals. Additionally, it also holds radiology images, discharge summaries, operative notes, pathology reports and medication records.

This wide range of information enables doctors to make informed and accurate medical decisions, especially during critical times. Figures 1.1 and 1.2 below show how IHIE improved information flow. Figure 1.1: Former system which fragmented patient information and created redundant, inefficient efforts Source: Indiana Health Information Exchange Figure 1.2: HIE system that consolidates information