HIO Survey: New Health Data Insights
- Health information exchange organizations (HIOs) are pivotal in enabling the electronic sharing of health data among health care providers, public health agencies, and payers.
- The survey, conducted in 2023 by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology policy (ASTP) in partnership wiht the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Civitas...
- HIOs commonly offer services such as alerting, community health records, and parsing Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) documents.
Uncover the vital role of Health Data Exchange Organizations (HIOs) in advancing interoperability and sharing health data nationwide. A recent study reveals the challenges and successes of these organizations, emphasizing their crucial function in connecting healthcare providers and public health agencies. The research, conducted in 2023, highlights the impact of HIOs on public health initiatives and the evolving landscape of health data exchange. News Directory 3 follows the trends in healthcare. Discover how HIOs are tackling information blocking, and how their diverse services meet the needs of many. Learn about the future of nationwide health information exchange. What advancements are on the horizon?
Health Information Exchange Organizations Drive Interoperability Nationwide
Updated January 7, 2025
Health information exchange organizations (HIOs) are pivotal in enabling the electronic sharing of health data among health care providers, public health agencies, and payers. A recent survey highlights their crucial role in promoting interoperability and reveals the current state of health information exchange nationwide.
The survey, conducted in 2023 by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology policy (ASTP) in partnership wiht the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Civitas Networks for Health (Civitas), gathered insights from 76 HIOs operating across 47 states. The findings underscore the financial challenges faced by these organizations,with only 34% reporting sufficient revenue from participants to cover operating expenses. This highlights their reliance on public support or option funding models.
HIOs commonly offer services such as alerting, community health records, and parsing Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) documents. A study in Health Affairs emphasized HIOs’ unique connectivity role. In 2023, 78% of hospitals participated in a regional, local, or state HIO, with some exclusively using HIOs over vendor-mediated or national networks.The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA™) aims to establish a universal standard for nationwide health information exchange, perhaps broadening HIOs’ reach. Sixty-three percent of HIOs plan to participate in TEFCA, while 32% remain uncertain, according to the survey.
Standards adoption is critical for seamless information sharing. A data brief reveals variations in standards adoption among HIOs for receiving and providing data electronically, as well as the range of United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) data elements available to network members. HIOs are more likely to make USCDI data elements available but less likely to adhere to USCDI’s vocabulary standards or receive data in a standardized manner.
A study in JMIR Public Health highlights HIOs’ potential to address public health data infrastructure gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty-six percent of responding HIOs reported electronic connections to public health agencies (PHAs).Common public health reporting functions supported by HIOs include immunization registries (64%), electronic laboratory results (63%), and syndromic surveillance (61%). Furthermore, four in five HIOs make lab results available, and over half provided data to address COVID-19 information gaps, with two-thirds offering data analytic services to PHAs.
Despite their contributions, HIOs face challenges. While potential information blocking practices by health systems and EHR vendors have decreased as prior years, 30% of HIOs still observe EHR developers engaging in such practices. A majority (61%) report that potential information blocking by developers significantly hinders their ability to provide services, while 45% cite missing data due to information blocking by health systems.
These findings underscore the active role HIOs play in nationwide health information exchange, offering diverse functionalities. However, policy advancements are crucial to further promote health information exchange. The HTI-2 proposed rule aims to advance interoperability and improve information sharing. ASTP also monitors potential information blocking practices to ensure an active information-sharing habitat.
What’s next
A new round of the national HIO survey is underway to continuously track the role of HIOs in health information exchange and key health IT policy areas. Representatives of HIOs or HIO executives who have not received the survey should contact Estelle Martin (Estelle.martin@ucsf.edu) to ensure their organization is included.network members are encouraged to urge their HIO to participate.