The value of HIE alerts for care coordination is growing, and there is evidence…

The Increasing Importance Of Hie Alerts For Care Coordination And Evidence That They Work

The value of HIE alerts for care coordination is growing, and there is evidence that they work.

Provider alerts generated by health information exchange (HIE) data are becoming increasingly widespread, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the United States will soon make them mandatory.

At the HIMSS (Health Information and Management Systems Society) 2022 Global Conference, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health Director of Public Health Informatics Brian Dixon, Ph.D., MPA, will present on the impact of HIE-based event notifications on care coordination.

Primary care clinicians frequently lack information regarding their patients’ care received outside of their office, particularly if it is provided by a separate health system. It’s likely that people will go to the hospital and be released without their regular care providers knowing.

That implies the patient is responsible for contacting their own doctor for necessary follow-up care. According to a survey of primary care providers in the United States, physicians are only told about half of the time, potentially jeopardizing their patients’ health.

“Especially after a large event like a hospitalization, patients should talk to their primary care provider about recovery plans, medication adjustments, and other essential information,” Dr. Dixon added.

“However, once patients return to their normal routine, they frequently forget to follow up with their doctor, or they feel better and believe they don’t need to, which is dangerous, particularly for older folks.”

Dr. Dixon recently published a study that found that sending HIE-based warnings to primary care clinicians improved the primary care team’s follow-up rate in the Veterans Affairs health system.

“The alerts spurred care teams to be more aggressive in closing the care coordination loop, and patients feel more valued when the provider contacts them,” Dr. Dixon explained.

During his talk on the effectiveness of event notifications, Dr. Dixon will address his study as well as national and global trends in HIE-based alerts for care coordination.

Care coordination has been identified as a key concern in 14 countries around the world, including the United States. The HIMSS 2022 Global Conference will be held in Orlando, Florida from March 14 to 18. On March 16, at 4 p.m., Dr. Dixon will give a presentation.