Internet Citation: 3. What are the best practices in pressure ulcer prevention that we want to use?. Content last reviewed October 2014. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
Electronic health information exchange (HIE) allows doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other health care providers and patients to appropriately access and securely share a patient’s vital medical information electronically—improving the speed, quality, safety and cost of patient care. Despite the widespread availability of secure electronic data transfer, most Americans’ medical information is stored on paper—in filing cabinets at various medical offices, or in boxes and folders in patients’ homes. When that medical information is shared between providers, it happens by mail, fax or—most likely—by patients themselves, who frequently carry their records from appointment to appointment. While electronic health information exchange cannot replace provider-patient communication, it can greatly improve the completeness of patient’s records, (which can have a big effect on care), as past history, current medications and other information is jointly reviewed during visits. Appropriate, timely sharing of vital patient information can better inform decision making at the point of care and allow providers to
If a practice has successfully incorporated faxing patient information into their business process flow, they might question why they should transition to electronic health information exchange. Many benefits exist with information exchange regardless of the means of which is it transferred. However, the value of electronically exchanging is the standardization of data. Once standardized, the data transferred can seamlessly integrate into the recipients' Electronic Health Record (EHR), further improving patient care. For example:
There are currently three key forms of health information exchange:
The foundation of standards, policies and technology required to initiate all three forms of health information exchange are complete, tested, and available today. The subsequent sections provide detailed information and example scenarios for each of the three forms. Learn more about ONC standards, policies and technology. DIRECTED EXCHANGEDirected exchange is used by providers to easily and securely send patient information—such as laboratory orders and results, patient referrals, or discharge summaries—directly to another health care professional. This information is sent over the internet in an encrypted, secure, and reliable way amongst health care professionals who already know and trust each other, and is commonly compared to sending a secured email. This form of information exchange enables coordinated care, benefitting both providers and patients. For example:
Directed exchange is also being used for sending immunization data to public health organizations or to report quality measures to The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Got questions about Direct and how to use it? Read the Direct Basics: Q&A for Providers [PDF - 312 KB]. Learn more about the technology supporting directed exchange. QUERY-BASED EXCHANGEQuery-based exchange is used by providers to search and discover accessible clinical sources on a patient. This type of exchange is often used when delivering unplanned care. For example:
Learn more about the technology supporting query-based exchange.Web Site Disclaimers Consumer-mediated exchange provides patients with access to their health information, allowing them to manage their health care online in a similar fashion to how they might manage their finances through online banking. When in control of their own health information, patients can actively participate in their care coordination by:
Learn more about the benefits of consumer-mediated exchange. YouTube embedded video: http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/UMiPW831b1o
Yes. The Privacy Rule allows covered health care providers to share protected health information for treatment purposes without patient authorization, as long as they use reasonable safeguards when doing so. These treatment communications may occur orally or in writing, by phone, fax, e-mail, or otherwise. For example:
The Privacy Rule requires that covered health care providers apply reasonable safeguards when making these communications to protect the information from inappropriate use or disclosure. These safeguards may vary depending on the mode of communication used. For example, when faxing protected health information to a telephone number that is not regularly used, a reasonable safeguard may involve a provider first confirming the fax number with the intended recipient. Similarly, a covered entity may pre-program frequently used numbers directly into the fax machine to avoid misdirecting the information. When discussing patient health information orally with another provider in proximity of others, a doctor may be able to reasonably safeguard the information by lowering his or her voice. Date Created: 11/03/2003 |