Factors associated with health information exchange system usage in a safety-net ambulatory care clinic setting

The effect of My Health Record use in the emergency department on clinician-assessed patient care: results from a survey

Background

The emergency department has been a major focus for the implementation of Australia’s national electronic health record, known as My Health Record. However, the association between use of My Health Record in the emergency department setting and patient care is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of emergency department clinicians regarding My Health Record use frequency, the benefits of My Health Record use (with a focus on patient care) and the barriers to use.

Methods

All 393 nursing, pharmacy, physician and allied health staff employed within the emergency department at a tertiary metropolitan public hospital in Melbourne were invited to participate in a web-based survey, between 1 May 2021 and 1 December 2021, during the height of the Delta and Omicron Covid-19 outbreaks in Victoria, Australia.

Results

Overall, the survey response rate was 18% (70/393). Approximately half of the sample indicated My Health Record use in the emergency department (n = 39, 56%, confidence interval [CI] 43–68%). The results showed that users typically only engaged with My Health Record less than once per shift (n = 15, 39%, CI 23–55%). Just over half (n = 19/39, 54%, CI 32–65%) of all participants who use My Health Record agreed they could remember a time when My Health Record had been critical to the care of a patient. Overall, clinicians indicated the biggest barrier preventing their use of My Health Record is that they forget to utilise the system.

Conclusion

The results suggest that My Health Record has not been adopted as routine practice in the emergency department, by the majority of participants. Close to half of self-identified users of My Health Record do not associate use as being critical to patient care. Instead, My Health Record may only be used in scenarios that clinicians perceive will yield the greatest benefit—which clinicians in this paper suggest is patients with chronic and complex conditions. Further research that explores the predictors to use and consumers most likely to benefit from use is recommended—and strategies to socialise this knowledge and educate clinicians is desperately required.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12911-022-01920-8.

The complementary nature of query-based and directed health information exchange in primary care practice

OBJECTIVE

Many policymakers and advocates assume that directed and query-based health information exchange (HIE) work together to meet organizations' interoperability needs, but this is not grounded in a substantial evidence base. This study sought to clarify the relationship between the usage of these 2 approaches to HIE.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

System user log files from a regional HIE organization and electronic health record system were combined to model the usage of HIE associated with a patient visit at 3 federally qualified health centers in New York. Regression models tested the hypothesis that directed HIE usage was associated with query-based usage and adjusted for factors reflective of the FITT (Fit between Individuals, Task & Technology) framework. Follow-up interviews with 8 key informants helped interpret findings.

RESULTS

Usage of query-based HIE occurred in 3.1% of encounters and directed HIE in 23.5%. Query-based usage was 0.6 percentage points higher when directed HIE provided imaging information, and 4.8 percentage points higher when directed HIE provided clinical documents. The probability of query-based HIE was lower for specialist visits, higher for postdischarge visits, and higher for encounters with nurse practitioners. Informants used query-based HIE after directed HIE to obtain additional information, support transitions of care, or in cases of abnormal results.

DISCUSSION

The complementary nature of directed and query-based HIE indicates that both HIE functionalities should be incorporated into EHR Certification Criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitative and qualitative findings suggest that directed and query-based HIE exist in a complementary manner in ambulatory care settings.

Association of the Magnitude of Nurses With the Use of Health Information Exchanges: Analyzing the National Health Insurance Claim Data of Hospitals and Clinics in Korea

BACKGROUND

Many features of health care organizations (HCOs) have been identified to be associated with health information exchange (HIE), but subcategories of organizational factors focusing on nurse workforces still need to be identified. The objective of this study is to investigate the association of number of nurses with HIE use in Korea.

METHODS

This study had a retrospective study design and used health insurance claim data from June 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018. The unit of analysis was the HCO, and any health insurance claims having HIE were counted by HCO. There were a total of 1490 HCOs having any HIE and 24 026 HCOs not having HIE. For statistical analysis, two-part model was used: logistic regression for HIE participation and the generalized linear model for the volume of HIE use.

RESULTS

HIE was used by 44.6% of general hospitals, and 8.6% and 5.3% of small hospitals and clinics, respectively. Both HIE use and its volume were significantly positively associated with nurse variables. The use of HIE was significantly positively associated with nurse-to-bed ratio in general hospitals (OR 1.028; 1.016 to 1.041) and in small hospitals (OR 1.021; 1.016 to 1.027), and with the number of nurses (OR 1.041; 1.028 to 1.054) in clinics (P<.001). The volume of HIE use was also positively associated with nurse-to-bed ratio in general hospitals (OR 1.010; 1.004 to 1.017) and in small hospitals (OR 1.014; 1.006 to 1.022), and with the number of nurses (OR 1.055; 1.037 to 1.073) in clinics (P<.01).

CONCLUSION

This study found that there was a low rate of HIE use in small hospitals and clinics. The number of nurses was critically associated with the use of HIE and the volume of HIE claims. HIE policy makers need to be aware of this factor in seeking to accelerate HIE.

Emergency care access to primary care records: an observational study

OBJECTIVE

To measure lookup rates of externally held primary care records accessed in emergency care and identify patient characteristics, conditions and potential consequences associated with access.

MEASURES

Rates of primary care record access and re-presentation to the emergency department (ED) within 30 days and hospital admission.

DESIGN

A retrospective observational study of 77 181 ED presentations over 4 years and 9 months, analysing 8184 index presentations in which patients' primary care records were accessed from the ED. Data were compared with 17 449 randomly selected index control presentations. Analysis included propensity score matching for age and triage categories.

RESULTS

6.3% of overall ED presentations triggered a lookup (rising to 8.3% in year 5); 83.1% of patients were only looked up once and 16.9% of patients looked up on multiple occasions. Lookup patients were on average 25 years older (z=-9.180, p<0.001, r=0.43). Patients with more urgent triage classifications had their records accessed more frequently (z=-36.47, p<0.001, r=0.23). Record access was associated with a significant but negligible increase in hospital admission (χ² (1, n=13 120)=98.385, p<0.001, phi=0.087) and readmission within 30 days (χ² (1, n=13 120)=86.288, p<0.001, phi=0.081).

DISCUSSION

Emergency care clinicians access primary care records more frequently for older patients or those in higher triage categories. Increased levels of inpatient admission and re-presentation within 30 days are likely linked to age and triage categories.

CONCLUSION

Further studies should focus on the impact of record access on clinical and process outcomes and which record elements have the most utility to shape clinical decisions.

Adoption of an Electronic Patient Record Sharing Pilot Project: Cross-Sectional Survey

BACKGROUND

The Public Private Interface-Electronic Patient Record (PPI-ePR) system was implemented as a new electronic platform to facilitate collaboration between the public and private sectors in Hong Kong. However, its barriers to participate and benefits have not been comprehensively assessed.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the awareness, acceptance, perceived benefits, and obstacles to participation among private doctors and the general public.

METHODS

From December 2012 to January 2013, 2435 telephone interviews were performed by trained interviewers to survey randomly selected patients who were enrolled or not enrolled in the PPI-ePR system. In addition, self-administered surveys were sent by postal mail to 4229 registered doctors in Hong Kong. The questionnaires for both patients and doctors contained questions on subjects' awareness, acceptance, and perceptions of the PPI-ePR, perceived benefits and obstacles of participating in the program, reasons for not using the system after enrolling, and perceived areas for service improvement of the system.

RESULTS

More than 53.1% (266/501) of enrolled patients believed that the PPI-ePR system would improve health care quality by reducing duplicate tests and treatments, while more than 76.8% (314/409) of enrolled doctors emphasized timely access to patients' medical records as the biggest benefit of their enrollment. Among nonenrolled patients, unawareness of the project was the most popular obstacle to enrolling in the PPI-ePR system (483/1200, 40.3%). Regarding nonenrolled doctors, the complicated registration process hindered them from participating in the program the most (95/198, 48.0%). Television, newspaper, and magazine advertisements and medical profession newsletters or journals were suggested as the most effective means to encourage participation in the program among surveyed patients (1297/1701, 76.2%) and doctors (428/610, 70.2%), respectively. Lack of clinical indication requiring data extraction from other hospitals was the main reason for low level of PPI-ePR use.

CONCLUSIONS

This study comprehensively assessed the popularity, perceived benefits, and hindering factors of enrolling in the PPI-ePR system in Hong Kong. Low levels of awareness, few privacy concerns, and inactive use of the PPI-ePR system were among the key features for patients and physicians. Public promotions, simplified logistics, and a user-friendly online interface were suggested to improve the coverage and effectiveness of health information exchange between private and public health care sectors.

Usage and accuracy of medication data from nationwide health information exchange in Quebec, Canada

Objective

(1) To describe the usage of medication data from the Health Information Exchange (HIE) at the health care system level in the province of Quebec; (2) To assess the accuracy of the medication list obtained from the HIE.

Methods

A descriptive study was conducted utilizing usage data obtained from the Ministry of Health at the individual provider level from January 1 to December 31, 2015. Usage patterns by role, type of site, and tool used to access the HIE were investigated. The list of medications of 111 high risk patients arriving at the emergency department of an academic healthcare center was obtained from the HIE and compared with the list obtained through the medication reconciliation process.

Results

There were 31 022 distinct users accessing the HIE 11 085 653 times in 2015. The vast majority of pharmacists and general practitioners accessed it, compared to a minority of specialists and nurses. The top 1% of users was responsible of 19% of access. Also, 63% of the access was made using the Viewer application, while using a certified electronic medical record application seemed to facilitate usage. Among 111 patients, 71 (64%) had at least one discrepancy between the medication list obtained from the HIE and the reference list.

Conclusions

Early adopters were mostly in primary care settings, and were accessing it more frequently when using a certified electronic medical record. Further work is needed to investigate how to resolve accuracy issues with the medication list and how certain tools provide different features.

Health Information Exchange Use (1990-2015): A Systematic Review

Background:

In June 2014, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology published a 10-year roadmap for the United States to achieve interoperability of electronic health records (EHR) by 2024. A key component of this strategy is the promotion of nationwide health information exchange (HIE). The 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act provided significant investments to achieve HIE.

Objective:

We conducted a systematic literature review to describe the use of HIE through 2015.

Methods:

We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases (1990 – 2015); reference lists; and tables of contents of journals not indexed in the databases searched. We extracted data describing study design, setting, geographic location, characteristics of HIE implementation, analysis, follow-up, and results. Study quality was dual-rated using pre-specified criteria and discrepancies resolved through consensus.

Results:

We identified 58 studies describing either level of use or primary uses of HIE. These were a mix of surveys, retrospective database analyses, descriptions of audit logs, and focus groups. Settings ranged from community-wide to multinational. Results suggest that HIE use has risen substantially over time, with 82% of non-federal hospitals exchanging information (2015), 38% of physician practices (2013), and 17-23% of long-term care facilities (2013). Statewide efforts, originally funded by HITECH, varied widely, with a small number of states providing the bulk of the data. Characteristics of greater use include the presence of an EHR, larger practice size, and larger market share of the health-system.

Conclusions:

Use of HIE in the United States is growing but is still limited. Opportunities remain for expansion. Characteristics of successful implementations may provide a path forward.

The role and benefits of accessing primary care patient records during unscheduled care: a systematic review

Background

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of accessing primary care records on unscheduled care. Unscheduled care is typically delivered in hospital Emergency Departments. Studies published to December 2014 reporting on primary care record access during unscheduled care were retrieved.

Results

Twenty-two articles met inclusion criteria from a pool of 192. Many shared electronic health records (SEHRs) were large in scale, servicing many millions of patients. Reported utilization rates by clinicians was variable, with rates >20% amongst health management organizations but much lower in nation-scale systems. No study reported on clinical outcomes or patient safety, and no economic studies of SEHR access during unscheduled care were available. Design factors that may affect utilization included consent and access models, SEHR content, and system usability and reliability.

Conclusions

Despite their size and expense, SEHRs designed to support unscheduled care have been poorly evaluated, and it is not possible to draw conclusions about any likely benefits associated with their use. Heterogeneity across the systems and the populations they serve make generalization about system design or performance difficult. None of the reviewed studies used a theoretical model to guide evaluation. Value of Information models may be a useful theoretical approach to design evaluation metrics, facilitating comparison across systems in future studies. Well-designed SEHRs should in principle be capable of improving the efficiency, quality and safety of unscheduled care, but at present the evidence for such benefits is weak, largely because it has not been sought.

Health Information Exchange in the ED: What Do ED Clinicians Think?

OBJECTIVES

Our regional health information exchange (HIE), known as Carolina eHealth Alliance (CeHA)-HIE, serves all major hospital systems in our region and is accessible to emergency department (ED) clinicians in those systems. We wanted to understand reasons for low CeHA-HIE utilization and explore options for improving it.

METHODS

We implemented a 24-item user survey among ED clinician users of CeHA-HIE to investigate their perceptions of system usability and functionality, the quality of the information available through CeHA-HIE, the value of clinician time spent using CeHA-HIE, the ease of use of CeHA-HIE, and approaches for improving CeHA-HIE.

RESULTS

Of the 231 ED clinicians surveyed, 51 responded, and among those, 48 reported having used CeHA-HIE and completed the survey.

CONCLUSIONS

Results show most ED clinicians believed that CeHA-HIE was easy to use and added value to their work, but they also desired better integration of information available from CeHA-HIE into their system's electronic medical record.

Balancing volume and duration of information consumption by physicians: The case of health information exchange in critical care

BACKGROUND

The realization of the potential benefits of health information exchange systems (HIEs) for emergency departments (EDs) depends on the way these systems are actually used. The attributes of volume of information and duration of information processing are important for the study of HIE use patterns in the ED, as cognitive load and time constraints may result in a trade-off between these attributes. Experts and non-experts often use different problem-solving strategies, which may be consequential for their system use patterns. Little previous research focuses on the trade-off between volume and duration of system use or on the factors that affect it, including user expertise.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims at exploring the trade-off of volume and duration of use, examining whether this relationship differs between experts and non-experts, and identifying factors that are associated with use patterns characterized by volume and duration.

METHODS

The research objectives are pursued in the context of critically-ill patients, treated at a busy ED in the period 2010-2012. The primary source of internal and external data is an HIE linked to 14 hospitals, over 1300 clinics, and other clinical facilities. We define four use profiles based on the attributes of duration and volume: quick and basic, quick and deep, slow and basic, and slow and deep. The volume and duration of use are computed using HIE log files as the number of screens and the time per screen, respectively. Each session is then classified into a specific profile based on distances from predefined profile centroids. Experts are physicians that are board-certified in emergency medicine. We test the distribution of use profiles and their associations with multiple variables that describe the patient, physician, situation, information available in the HIE system, and use dynamics within the encounter.

RESULTS

The quick and basic profile is the most prevalent. While available admission summaries are associated with quick and basic use, lab and imaging results are associated with slower or deeper use. Physicians who are the first to use the system or are sole users during an encounter are less inclined to quick and deep use. These effects are intensified for experts.

DISCUSSION

A trade-off between volume and duration is identified. While system use is overall similar for experts and non-experts, the circumstances in which a certain profile is more likely to be observed vary across these two groups. Information availability and multiple-physician dynamics within the encounter emerge as important for the prediction of use profiles. The findings of this study provide implications for the design, implementation, and research of HIE use.

The implications and impact of 3 approaches to health information exchange: community, enterprise, and vendor-mediated health information exchange

INTRODUCTION

Electronic health information exchange (HIE) is considered essential to establishing a learning health system, reducing medical errors, and improving efficiency, but establishment of widespread, high functioning HIE has been challenging. Healthcare organizations now have considerable flexibility in selecting among several HIE strategies, most prominently community HIE, enterprise HIE (led by a healthcare organization), and electronic health record vendor-mediated HIE. Each of these strategies is characterized by different conveners, capabilities, and motivations and may have different abilities to facilitate improved patient care.

METHODS

I reviewed the available scholarly literature to draw conceptual distinctions between these types of HIE, to assess the current evidence on each type of HIE, and to indicate important areas of future research.

RESULTS

While community HIE seems to offer the most open approach to HIE allowing for high levels of connectivity, both enterprise HIE and vendor-mediated HIE face lower barriers to formation and sustainability. Most existing evidence is focused on community HIE and points towards low overall use, challenges to usability, and ambiguous impact. To better guide organizational leaders and policymakers in the expansion of beneficial HIE and anticipate future trends, future research should work to better capture the prevalence of other forms of HIE, and to adopt common methods to allow comparisons of rate of use, usability, and impact on patient care across studies and types of HIE.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthcare organizations' choice of HIE strategy influences the set of partners the organization is connected to and may influence the benefit that efforts supported by HIE can offer to patients. Current research is not fully capturing the diversity of approaches to HIE and their potentially varying impact on providers and patients.

Health Information Exchange (HIE): A literature review, assimilation pattern and a proposed classification for a new policy approach

OBJECTIVES

Literature shows existence of barriers to Healthcare Information Exchange (HIE) assimilation process. A number of studies have considered assimilation of HIE as a whole phenomenon without regard to its multifaceted nature. Thus, the pattern of HIE assimilation in healthcare providers has not been clearly studied due to the effects of contingency factors on different assimilation phases. This study is aimed at defining HIE assimilation phases, recognizing assimilation pattern, and proposing a classification to highlight unique issues associated with HIE assimilation.

METHODS

A literature review of existing studies related to HIE efforts from 2005 was undertaken. Four electronic research databases (PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Academic Search Premiere) were searched for articles addressing different phases of HIE assimilation process.

RESULTS

Two hundred and fifty-four articles were initially selected. Out of 254, 44 studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The assimilation of HIE is a complicated and a multi-staged process. Our findings indicated that HIE assimilation process consisted of four main phases: initiation, organizational adoption decision, implementation and institutionalization. The data helped us recognize the assimilation pattern of HIE in healthcare organizations.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide useful theoretical implications for research by defining HIE assimilation pattern. The findings of the study also have practical implications for policy makers. The findings show the importance of raising national awareness of HIE potential benefits, financial incentive programs, use of standard guidelines, implementation of certified technology, technical assistance, training programs and trust between healthcare providers. The study highlights deficiencies in the current policy using the literature and identifies the "pattern" as an indication for a new policy approach.

Running head: Value from health information exchange

Policy makers and practitioners argue that electronic exchange of clinical data across the healthcare system is a key component of improving health service delivery in the United States. Provider administrators, however, question the strategic value of participation in health information exchanges (HIEs) and remain reluctant to participate. Existing research fails to adequately illuminate the potential value derived from HIEs by participating organizations. This paper addresses this gap by developing a conceptual model informed by the complementary theoretical perspectives of the relational view and systems theory to specify both a provider organizationʼs internal conditions and the HIE structure necessary for both financial accrual and quality improvement. This two-sided model can assist policymakers as they attempt to encourage HIE development, as well as provider and HIE leadership that seek to benefit from HIEs. The propositions developed from this model can also help guide researchers as they evaluate the impact of HIEs.

How could health information exchange better meet the needs of care practitioners?

BACKGROUND

Health information exchange (HIE) has the potential to improve the quality of healthcare by enabling providers with better access to patient information from multiple sources at the point of care. However, HIE efforts have historically been difficult to establish in the US and the failure rates of organizations created to foster HIE have been high.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to better understand how RHIO-based HIE systems were used in practice and the challenges care practitioners face using them. The objective of our study were to so investigate how HIE can better meet the needs of care practitioners.

METHODS

We performed a multiple-case study using qualitative methods in three communities in New York State. We conducted interviews onsite and by telephone with HIE users and non-users and observed the workflows of healthcare professionals at multiple healthcare organizations participating in a local HIE effort in New York State.

RESULTS

The empirical data analysis suggests that challenges still remain in increasing provider usage, optimizing HIE implementations and connecting HIE systems across geographic regions. Important determinants of system usage and perceived value includes users experienced level of available information and the fit of use for physician workflows.

CONCLUSIONS

Challenges still remain in increasing provider adoption, optimizing HIE implementations, and demonstrating value. The inability to find information reduced usage of HIE. Healthcare organizations, HIE facilitating organizations, and states can help support HIE adoption by ensuring patient information is accessible to providers through increasing patient consents, fostering broader participation, and by ensuring systems are usable.

Association between use of a health information exchange system and hospital admissions

OBJECTIVE

Relevant patient information is frequently difficult to obtain in emergency department (ED) visits. Improved provider access to previously inaccessible patient information may improve the quality of care and reduce hospital admissions. Health information exchange (HIE) systems enable access to longitudinal, community-wide patient information at the point of care. However, the ability of HIE to avert admissions is not well demonstrated. We sought to determine if HIE system usage is correlated with a reduction in admissions via the ED.

METHODS

We identified 15,645 adults from New York State with an ED visit during a 6-month period, all of whom consented to have their information accessible in the HIE system, and were continuously enrolled in two area health plans. Using claims we determined if the ED encounter resulted in an admission. We used the HIE's system log files to determine usage during the encounter. We determined the association between HIE system use and the likelihood of admission to the hospital from the ED and potential cost savings.

RESULTS

The HIE system was accessed during 2.4% of encounters. The odds of an admission were 30% lower when the system was accessed after controlling for confounding (odds ratio = 0.70; 95%C I= 0.52, 0.95). The annual savings in the sample was $357,000.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the use of an HIE system may reduce hospitalizations from the ED with resultant cost savings. This is an important outcome given the substantial financial investment in interventions designed to improve provider access to patient information in the US.

Patient encounters and care transitions in one community supported by automated query-based health information exchange

Care transitions from one facility to another threaten patient safety due to the potential loss of critical clinical information. Electronic clinical data exchange may address the problem. Approaches to exchange range from manual directed exchange, or sending point-to-point messages, to automated query-based health information exchange (HIE), or aggregating data from multiple sources. In this study, we measured the extent to which automated query-based HIE supported patient encounters and care transitions in one community. During the 23-month study period, 41% (n=33,219) of affirmatively consented patients had at least one encounter supported by automated query-based HIE. Of these patients, 41% (n=13,685) visited two or more facilities and accounted for 68% of total encounters. Of total encounters, 28% (n=40,828) were care transitions from one facility to another. Findings suggest that automated query-based HIE may support care transitions with efficient information sharing and assist United States providers in achieving stage two of meaningful use.

Primer in health information exchange for the emergency physician: benefits and barriers

For various reasons, patients seek care at different hospitals within a region, resulting in fragmented medical records at the point of care. In the emergency department, this is a particularly important issue because the emergency department provides open access to all patients and requires rapid high-stakes decision making to function well. To address these issues and as a result of federal initiatives, health information exchanges (HIEs) have been designed and implemented in various regions throughout the United States to promote health information sharing. The use of HIEs has been demonstrated to lower costs and avoid duplicative testing and treatment; however, obstacles such as physician usage characteristics and institutional concerns regarding information sharing exist and must be addressed before full implementation and adoption of HIEs among institutions take place. Further research is needed to describe the benefits of HIEs and how they can affect these barriers.

How are health professionals using health information exchange systems? Measuring usage for evaluation and system improvement

Health information exchange (HIE) is an avenue to improving patient care and an important priority under the Meaningful Use requirements. However, we know very little about the usage of HIE systems. Understanding how healthcare professionals actually utilize HIE systems will provide practical insights to system evaluation, help guide system improvement, and help organizations assess performance. We developed a novel way of describing professionals' HIE usage from the log files of an operational HIE-facilitating organization. The system employed a webpage-style interface. The screen number, types, and variation served to cluster all sessions in to five categories of HIE usage: minimal usage, repetitive searching, clinical information, mixed information, and demographic information. This method reduced the 1,661 different patterns into five recognizable groups for analysis. Overall, most users engaged with the system in a minimal fashion. In terms of user characteristics, minimal usage was highest among physicians and the highest percentage of clinical information usage was among nurses. Usage also differed by organization with repetitive searching most common in settings with scheduled encounters and uncommon in the faster-paced emergency department. Lastly, usage also varied by timing of the patient encounter. Within a single HIE system, discernible types of users behavior existed and varied across jobs, organizations, and time. This approach relied on objective data and can be replicated. In addition, our approach demonstrates that substantial variation in user behaviors exists beyond the more simplistic measures of adoption/non-adoption or access/no-access applied in previous research. This approach can help leaders and evaluators assess their own and other organizations.

Use of a health information exchange system in the emergency care of children

BACKGROUND

Children may benefit greatly in terms of safety and care coordination from the information sharing promised by health information exchange (HIE). While information exchange capability is a required feature of the certified electronic health record, we known little regarding how this technology is used in general and for pediatric patients specifically.

METHODS

Using data from an operational HIE effort in central Texas, we examined the factors associated with actual system usage. The clinical and demographic characteristics of pediatric ED encounters (n = 179,445) were linked to the HIE system user logs. Based on the patterns of HIE system screens accessed by users, we classified each encounter as: no system usage, basic system usage, or novel system usage. Using crossed random effects logistic regression, we modeled the factors associated with basic and novel system usage.

RESULTS

Users accessed the system for 8.7% of encounters. Increasing patient comorbidity was associated with a 5% higher odds of basic usage and 15% higher odds for novel usage. The odds of basic system usage were lower in the face of time constraints and for patients who had not been to that location in the previous 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

HIE systems may be a source to fulfill users' information needs about complex patients. However, time constraints may be a barrier to usage. In addition, results suggest HIE is more likely to be useful to pediatric patients visiting ED repeatedly. This study helps fill an existing gap in the study of technological applications in the care of children and improves knowledge about how HIE systems are utilized.

The impact of health information exchange on health outcomes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Healthcare professionals, industry and policy makers have identified Health Information Exchange (HIE) as a solution to improve patient safety and overall quality of care. The potential benefits of HIE on healthcare have fostered its implementation and adoption in the United States. However,there is a dearth of publications that demonstrate HIE effectiveness. The purpose of this review was to identify and describe evidence of HIE impact on healthcare outcomes.

METHODS

A database search was conducted. The inclusion criteria included original investigations in English that focused on a HIE outcome evaluation. Two independent investigators reviewed the articles. A qualitative coding approach was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Out of 207 abstracts retrieved, five articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 3 were randomized controlled trials, 1 involved retrospective review of data, and 1 was a prospective study. We found that HIE benefits on healthcare outcomes are still sparsely evaluated, and that among the measurements used to evaluate HIE healthcare utilization is the most widely used.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes evaluation is required to give healthcare providers and policy-makers evidence to incorporate in decision-making processes. This review showed a dearth of HIE outcomes data in the published peer reviewed literature so more research in this area is needed. Future HIE evaluations with different levels of interoperability should incorporate a framework that allows a detailed examination of HIE outcomes that are likely to positively affect care.