Exchange of Health Information Growing

The number of acute-care hospitals that electronically exchanged health information with a health care provider outside their information network reached an all-time high in 2013, according to data released by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology May 5. More than 60 percent of nonfederal acute-care hospitals electronically exchanged some kind of patient health information with a health care provider outside their network in 2013, a 4 percent increase compared with exchange rates in 2012, according to the ONC data. Additionally, 40 percent of hospitals exchanged health data with another hospital in 2013, also a 4 percent increase over 2012 rates. The type of information exchange included laboratory results, radiology reports, clinical care summaries, and patient medication histories. Federal lawmakers and oversight agencies have been critical of the Department of Health and Human Services’ progress to date on advancing interoperability among health care providers and hospitals. In March, the Government Accountability Office published a report that found that many providers are still struggling to exchange data with health systems outside their vendor networks despite federal incentives to adopt electronic health records. The data released May 5 were based on a joint ONC-American Hospital Association survey of 2,655 hospital executives conducted between November 2013 and February 2014. The types of information acute-care hospitals were capable of exchanging also expanded significantly between 2008 and 2013, according to the ONC data. Hospital exchange of laboratory results, radiology reports, clinical care summaries, and patient medication histories all expanded between 2008 and 2013, according to the data. In 2013, 57 percent of acute-care hospitals exchanged laboratory results, up from 35 percent in 2008. In 2013, 55 percent of acute-care hospitals exchanged radiology reports, up from 37 percent in 2008. Takeaway: Hospitals and other health care providers are doing a better job of exchanging health information, including laboratory results, with each other, but there’s still a long way to go.