Healthcare IT (Information Technology) for Health Information Exchanges
Sustainable Success: State CIOs and Health Information Exchange - While NASCIO has continued to track the role of the State CIO in
National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO)
Health Information Exchange (HIE), the recently released issue brief highlights the importance of a sustainable public HIE. State-run HIEs are mainly utilizing two types of usage fees and, in some instances, using a combination of the two. The first model, the transaction fee model, is used when charging for each set of data that is sent or received. The second model, a subscription fee model, allows providers and users to set a predetermined level of data access. The subscription fee can be set at a weekly, monthly or annual rate and may include varying levels of services.
As AHIMA points out, the HIE implementation challenge will be to create a standardized interoperable model that is patient centric, trusted, longitudinal, scalable, sustainable, and reliable. The goal of HIE is to facilitate the secure access, use, and control of health information in support of patient-centered care delivered in a safe, high quality, cost effective, and timely manner.
HIMSS clarifies that the terms “RHIO” and “Health Information Exchange” or “HIE” are often used interchangeably. RHIO (regional health information organization) is a group of organizations with a business stake in improving the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare delivery. RHIOs are the building blocks of the proposed National Health Information Network (NHIN) initiative proposed by David Brailer, MD, and his team at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT).
Based on initial recommendations from the Nationwide Health Information Network Work Group, the Direct Project was launched in March 2010 to specify a simple, secure, scalable, standards-based way for participants to send authenticated, encrypted health information directly to known, trusted recipients over the Internet. The Direct Project expands existing Nationwide Health Information Network standards and service descriptions to address the key Stage 1 requirements for Meaningful Use, and to provide an easy “on-ramp” to nationwide exchange for a wide set of providers and organizations. For more information about the Direct Project, please visit http://www.directproject.org.
The Direct Project specifies a simple, secure, scalable, standards-based way for participants to send authenticated, encrypted health information directly to known, trusted recipients over the Internet.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has awarded $16 million in new Challenge Grants to encourage breakthrough innovations for health information exchange that can be leveraged widely to support nationwide health information exchange and interoperability.
| State/SDE Recipient | State HIE Cooperative Agreement Award | 2011 HIE Challenge Grant Supplement Amount | Challenge Theme |
| Colorado Regional Health Information Organization | $9,175,777.00 | $1,718,783.00 | 2 |
| Georgia Department of Community Health | $13,003,003.00 | $1,686,989.00 | 3 |
| Indiana Health Information Technology, Inc. | $10,300,000.00 | $1,718,439.00 | 4 |
| Indiana Health Information Technology, Inc.* | $10,300,000.00 | $1,267,970.00 | 3 |
| Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation | $10,599,719.00 | $1,717,610.00 | 2 |
| Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation* | $10,599,719.00 | $1,675,019.00 | 5 |
| Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene | $9,313,924.00 | $1,683,171.00 | 2 |
| HealthShare Montana | $5,767,926.00 | $1,400,802.00 | 5 |
| North Carolina Department of State Treasurer | $12,950,860.00 | $1,708,693.00 | 1 |
| Oklahoma Health Care Authority | $8,883,741.00 | $1,719,086.00 | 2 |
| TOTAL | $79,994,950.00 | $16,296,562.00 |