Quantifying benefits of using health information exchange to support public health STI reporting and treatment in Western New York

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-47
Author(s):  
Saira N Haque ◽  
Heather Territo ◽  
Robert Bailey ◽  
Barbara Massoudi ◽  
Ross Loomis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Health Information Exchange ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Treatment Information ◽  
Public Health Staff ◽  
Time Savings

Objective: To calculate average savings of using health information exchange (HIE) for demographic and treatment requests for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in Western New York, specifically the Erie County Department of Health and its catchment area. Method: We conducted a mixed-method case study. Qualitative methods included interviews, document review, and workflow mapping, which were used as the inputs to identify time savings. Case rates, time savings, and salary averages were used to calculate average savings. Results: The avoided demographic information requests resulted in time and money savings (range of USD$2312–USD$4624 for chlamydia and USD$809–USD$1512 for gonorrhoea) as did avoided treatment requests (range of USD$671–USD$2803 for chlamydia and USD$981–USD$1635 for gonorrhoea). Discussion: HIE supported sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment by making it easier for public health staff to identify and act upon STI diagnoses. Availability of information online resulted in less reliance on provider offices for demographic and treatment information. Conclusion: Results indicated that using HIE to support treatment and management of STIs can save public health staff time spent on obtaining demographic and treatment information. Other public health departments could use HIE for this and other types of disease surveillance activities. Considering public health needs in HIE development and use can improve efficiency of public health services and enhance effectiveness of activities.

scholarly journals An empirical analysis of the financial benefits of health information exchange in emergency departments

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 1169-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niam Yaraghi
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Health Information Exchange ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Control Group ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective To examine the impact of health information exchange (HIE) on reducing laboratory tests and radiology examinations performed in an emergency department (ED). Materials and Methods The study was conducted in an ED setting in Western New York over a period of 2 months. The care of the patients in the treatment group included an HIE query for every encounter, while the care of other patients in the control group did not include such queries. A group of medical liaisons were hired to query the medical history of patients from an HIE and provide it to the ED clinicians. Negative binomial regression was used to analyze the effects of HIE queries on the number of performed laboratory tests and radiology examinations. The log files of the HIE system since 1 year before the ED admission were used to analyze the differences in outcome measures between the 2 groups of patients. Results Ceteris paribus, HIE usage is associated with, respectively, 52% and 36% reduction in the expected total number of laboratory tests and radiology examinations ordered per patient at the ED. Conclusions The results indicate that access to additional clinical data through the HIE will significantly reduce the number of laboratory tests and radiology examinations performed in the ED settings and thus support the ongoing HIE efforts.

scholarly journals What Affects Clinicians’ Usage of Health Information Exchange?

2011 ◽  
Vol 02 (03) ◽  
pp. 250-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Volk ◽  
S. Simon ◽  
D. Bates ◽  
R. Rudin
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Health Information Exchange ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Time Savings ◽  
And Training ◽  
Exchange Health Information

SummaryBackground: The ability to electronically exchange health information among healthcare providers holds enormous promise to improve care coordination and reduce costs. Provider-to-provider data exchange is an explicit goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and may be essential for the long-term success of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. However, little is known about what factors affect clinicians’ usage of health information exchange (HIE) functionality.Objective: To identify factors that affect clinicians’ HIE usage - in terms of frequency of contributing data to and accessing data from aggregate patient records - and suggest policies for fostering its usage.Methods: We performed a qualitative study using grounded theory by interviewing clinician-users and HIE staff of one operational HIE which supported aggregate patient record functionality. Fifteen clinicians were interviewed for one hour each about what factors affect their HIE usage. Five HIE staff were asked about technology and training issues to provide context. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed. Recruitment excluded clinicians with little or no familiarity with the HIE and was restricted to one community and a small number of specialties.Results: Clinicians were motivated to access the HIE by perceived improvements in care quality and time savings, but their motivation was moderated by an extensive list of factors including gaps in data, workflow issues and usability issues. HIE access intensities varied widely by clinician. Data contribution intensities to the HIE also varied widely and were affected by billing concerns and time constraints.Conclusions: Clinicians, EHR and HIE product vendors and trainers should work toward integrating HIE into clinical workflows. Policies should create incentives for HIE organizations to assist clinicians in using HIE, develop measures of HIE contributions and accesses, and create incentives for clinicians to contribute data to HIEs.

scholarly journals Health Information Exchange: A Novel Re-linkage Intervention in an Urban Health System

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Sharp ◽  
Christine D Angert ◽  
Tyania Mcconnell ◽  
Pascale Wortley ◽  
Eugene Pennisi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Viral Suppression ◽  
Health Information Exchange ◽  
Linkage To Care ◽  
Primary Analysis ◽  
Adjusted Risk ◽  
Hiv 1

Abstract Background Public health information exchanges (HIEs) link real-time surveillance and clinical data and can help to re-engage out-of-care people with HIV (PWH). Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of out-of-care PWH who generated an HIE alert in the Grady Health System (GHS) Emergency Department (ED) between January 2017 and February 2018. Alerts were generated for PWH who registered in the GHS ED without Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) CD4 or HIV-1 RNA in the prior 14 months. The alert triggered a social work (SW)–led re-linkage effort. Multivariate logistic regression analyses used HIE-informed SW re-linkage efforts as the independent variable, and linkage to care and 3- and 6-month viral suppression (HIV-1 RNA < 200 c/mL) as primary outcomes. Patients admitted to the hospital were excluded from primary analysis. Results One hundred forty-seven out-of-care patients generated an alert. Ninety-eight were included in the primary analysis (mean age [SD], 41 ± 12 years; 70% male; 93% African American), and 20 received the HIE-informed SW intervention. Sixty percent of patients receiving the intervention linked to care in 6 months, compared with 35% who did not. Patients receiving the intervention were more likely to link to care (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99–2.68) and no more likely to achieve viral suppression (aRR, 1.49; 95% CI, 0.50–4.46) than those who did not receive the intervention. Conclusions An HIE-informed, SW-led intervention systematically identified out-of-care PWH and may increase linkage to care for this important population. HIEs create an opportunity to intervene with linkage and retention strategies.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a health information exchange system for microcephaly case-finding — New York City, 2013—2015

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. e0237392
Author(s):  
Eugenie Poirot ◽  
Carrie W. Mills ◽  
Andrew D. Fair ◽  
Krishika A. Graham ◽  
Emily Martinez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Health Information ◽  
York City ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Health Information Exchange ◽  
Case Finding ◽  
Exchange System

scholarly journals Use of Health Information Exchange Improved the Identification of Healthcare-Associated Group A Streptococcus Infections

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s423-s423
Author(s):  
Alana Cilwick ◽  
Alexis Burakoff ◽  
Wendy Bamberg ◽  
Geoffrey Brousseau ◽  
Nisha Alden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Health Information Exchange ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Associated Gas ◽  
Case Ascertainment ◽  
Outbreak Investigations ◽  
Group A ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Background: Healthcare-associated group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections can cause severe morbidity and death. Invasive GAS is a reportable condition in the 5-county metropolitan area of Denver, Colorado. Prior to August 2018, methodology to identify long-term care facility (LTCF) residency among reported GAS cases was accomplished by reviewing addresses reported electronically, and identification of postsurgical cases and outbreaks relied on reporting by healthcare facilities. We evaluated whether the use of a health information exchange (HIE) to identify healthcare exposures improved our ability to detect and rapidly respond to these events. Methods: In August 2018, we implemented a review of health records available in the HIE accessible by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for all incoming reports of GAS for selected healthcare exposures: LTCF residency, surgery, delivery, wound care, and other relevant exposures. We defined an LTCF-related case as GAS in a current or recent resident (ie, in the 14 days prior to the positive culture) of an LTCF. Postpartum and postsurgical cases were defined as GAS isolated from a sterile site or wound during the inpatient stay or within 7 days of discharge following a delivery or surgical procedure. Outbreaks in each of these settings were defined as 2 or more cases within a 3-month period. We compared the number of cases and outbreaks identified in each category during a 1-year period before and after implementation of the use of the HIE in the case ascertainment process. Results: During August 2017 through July 2018, prior to implementation of the HIE process, we detected 45 LTCF cases and conducted outbreak investigations in 9 facilities. Moreover, 1 postsurgical case and 1 postpartum outbreak were reported by healthcare facilities; none were detected via surveillance. During August 2018 through July 2019, after the implementation of HIE process, we identified 70 LTCF cases and conducted outbreak investigations in 13 LTCFs. We detected 5 postsurgical cases and 3 postpartum cases, which resulted in 2 outbreak investigations. Conclusions: Enhanced GAS surveillance through use of a HIE resulted in detection of more healthcare-associated GAS infections and outbreaks. Timely identification of healthcare-associated GAS infections can allow for prompt response to outbreaks and promotion of proper infection control practices to prevent further cases. Jurisdictions in which GAS is a reportable condition should consider the use of HIEs as part of routine surveillance to identify GAS outbreaks in high-risk settings. HIEs should be made available to public health agencies for case ascertainment and outbreak identification.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

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