HIE Use Case Library

HIEs efficiently store patients healthcare information digitally and securely shares the information among physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers in a timely manner.

HIE utilization may improve patient care coordination and transitions of care by allowing access to patients' most recent test results, procedures, diagnosis, medications, allergies, and more.

MHAX offers interoperability and analytics products and services in seven states to include Kansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Connecticut, New Jersey, Missouri, and Louisiana. Use cases are developed based upon information provided by HIE participants in these states.

We are pleased to present to you real HIE end user use case stories in a succinct manner to help illustrate how HIE utilization can deliver value to your healthcare team and processes.

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ORGANIZATION PROFILE:

Behavioral Health Organization established in 1961.

Organization Type: Quasi-municipality.

Services: Mental health therapy and services, 24/7 crisis programs.

Service Base: 250,000+ regional with four locations.

HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE USE:

Medication history: Review prescribed medications to determine future course. It is easy to research patients and validate whether another provider has prescribed a medication. Protection for the provider and the patient.

Avoid duplicative testing: Helpful in verifying recent test results, including expensive procedures such as CAT scans.

Treatment and management: Healthcare providers can quickly access their patients' data across disparate healthcare systems, reducing treatment delays and enhancing clinical decision making.

Quick patient history and treatment review: A list of facilities where the patient was seen, admit and discharge dates, lab results, procedures and diagnoses, current and past medications, allergies, chief complaints, visit notes, operation notes and the patients' primary care providers.

Utilizing the health information exchange to pre-assess patients with appointments for psychotic diagnosis interviews (PDI's):

"The HIE helps us track allergies, medications, recent provider visits, and medical records. It's helpful because there are times when the patient is incapable of recalling what meds they are taking and physicians they have seen in the past." Pat Harris, LPN, 5 years

"Having access to the health information exchange helps with gathering data about our clients existing and past health histories and treatment to inform clinical decisions, coordinate care among providers. We can minimize duplicative testing and treatment and increase the efficiency of care. The overarching goal is to holistically improve the safety and quality of care our clients receive." Tracy Davies,
DNP, APRN, AGNP, PMHNP,
board certified Family Psychiatric Mental
Health Nurse Practitioner since 2004
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ORGANIZATION PROFILE:

Behavioral Health Organization established in 1957.

Organization Type: 501c(3).

Services: Mental and community health services.

Service Base: 500,000+ metropolitan.

HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE USE:

Treatment and management: Accessing the health information exchange (HIE) improves patient care coordination and transitions of care by allowing healthcare professionals to access their patients' most recent test results, procedures, diagnosis, medications, allergies and more.

Medication history and testing: HIE data may include critical patient information such as a list of facilities where the patient was seen, admit and discharge dates, lab results, procedures and diagnoses, current and past medications, allergies, chief complaint, visit notes, operation notes and the patients' primary care providers.

Utilizing the health information exchange for better case management and continuum of care:

"The HIE is integral to case management and continuum of care for both inpatient and outpatient services. We primarily use the HIE for patient discharge plans -- we are looking for encounters we didn't know about and identifiable physical or behavioral issues. We have better information regarding what's happened with the patient, and may see a pattern for intervention.

We see approximately 500 patients on a regular basis and 3,000 on an outpatient basis. The HIE is a tremendous resource." Mary Jones, President, CEO
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How Critical Access Hospitals with Clinics are using the health information exchange

ORGANIZATION PROFILE:

Community Hospital established in 1922.

Organization Type: Critical Access Hospital, 25 beds; 6 hospital-owned specialty clinics.

Services: Emergency medical, surgical, obstetrical, heart attack, stroke, level IV trauma, ICU and on site helicopter and land transport available 24/7.

Service Base: 24/7 critical access care to patients of all ages in seven counties.

HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE USE:

Improve quality outcomes: Using the health information exchange to track demographics, admissions, discharges, transfers, progress notes, diagnosis and procedure coding, lab results and medications, results in a more comprehensive picture of patients.

Impact reporting measures: Patient satisfaction scores on the Clinician & Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG-CAHPS) increased as patients indicated "provider knew important medical history."

Increase provider reimbursement: Patient satisfaction scores impact Improvement Activities for the Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) reporting, and rewards providers with incentive payments.

Utilizing the health information exchange to select and track quality measures, and report to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as part of the Quality Payment Program:

"HIE data can improve quality outcomes, impact quality measures reporting for MIPS, and result in increased provider reimbursement. Successful value-based care programs reward healthcare providers with incentive payments for the quality of care they deliver.

Utilizing the HIE assisted providers in earning an average increase of 5.75 percent in payer incentive dollars from claims billed in 2018." Tara Orear, Senior Ambulatory Systems Analyst
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ORGANIZATION PROFILE:

Urban facility serving patients for 130 years.

Organization Type: 586-bed acute care center with multi-specialty physician groups.

Services: Inpatient and outpatient care, as well as a variety of community outreach services.

Service Base: 24/7 critical access care to patients of all ages in an urban-rural regional setting.

HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE USE:

Streamlines care delivery across healthcare settings: Timely access to more complete patient data streamlines care delivery and coordination across all settings, to include the emergency department, primary care physician's office, and specialty clinics, even when providers and facilities are using different EHRs.

Provides timely access to patient information: Using the health information exchange to track demographics, admissions, discharges, transfers, progress notes, diagnosis, lab results and medications delivers a more comprehensive picture of patients' health to members of the healthcare team.

Saves time and eliminates redundancy: By having access to a patient's more complete longitudinal record, redundant testing, x-rays, and imaging can be avoided. This helps to save time and money while positively impacting patient safety.

Supports medication reconciliation: Better adherence to prescription and treatment plans while avoiding overprescribing of medication or undetected potential adverse drug interactions.

Utilizing the health information exchange to impact emergency care:

"Many patients who seek acute care are unknown to us. The HIE is immeasurably helpful because the records are there—recent care—in real time. We know who the patient was last seen by, who to call for more information, and know the health issues they are having already.

We recently treated a person who had surgery in another city, and later came to us for a post-surgical issue. We know who the surgeon is and can call them. And, after the appointment the HIE automatically sends the visit summary to the primary care physician or specialist." Korri Phillips, MD
Medical Director Express/Urgent Care Clinics
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How Critical Access Hospitals with Clinics are using the health information exchange to improve transitions of care

ORGANIZATION PROFILE:

Community Hospital established in 1904.

Organization Type: Critical Access Hospital, 25 beds.

Services: Obstetrics, home health, swing bed and hospice, and a broad range of outpatient services.

Service Base: 24/7 critical access care to patients of all ages in small rural community.

HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE USE:

Streamlines care delivery across healthcare settings: Timely access to more complete patient data helps streamline care delivery and coordination across all settings, to include the emergency department, primary care physician's office, specialty clinics, and skilled nursing homes even when providers and facilities are using different EHRs.

Provides timely access to patient information: Using the health information exchange to track demographics, admissions, discharges, transfers, progress notes, diagnosis, lab results and medications delivers a more comprehensive picture of patients' health to members of the healthcare team.

Saves time and eliminates redundancy: By having access to a patient's more complete longitudinal record, redundant testing, x-rays, and imaging can be avoided. This helps to save time and money while positively impacting patient safety.

Supports medication reconciliation: Better adherence to prescription and treatment plans while avoiding overprescribing of medication or undetected potential adverse drug interactions.

Utilizing the health information exchange to improve transitions of care:

"Our facility is actively working to improve the transitional care process for patients, whether they are being transitioned from one level of care to another, transferred outside of our care, or coming into our care. Currently we focus on using KHIN to obtain information for swing bed and home health referrals so we can be better prepared for their admissions. This translates into improved quality of care for all patients by leveraging the HIE information in real time rather than awaiting a fax that may not be received in a timely manner." Rhonda Spellmeier
Clinical Analyst
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ORGANIZATION PROFILE:

Accountable Care Organization established in 2016.

Organization Type: Accountable Care Organizations composed of 25 clinics and 5 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across Kansas.

Services: Practice transformation services and support for primary care accountable care organizations (ACOs).

Service Base: 97,000+ Lives Under Management across Medicare, MA and commercial contracts across urban, rural and suburban Kansas.

HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE USE:

Admission/Discharge/Transfer (ADT) notifications enable comprehensive patient management and allow providers to conduct proactive transitional care management for patients.

"ADT alerts are critical for primary care providers as they work to coordinate care and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. The HIE makes sure that PCPs are kept informed about utilization for their patients, and the information allows them to follow up quickly when necessary. It's a valuable resource for primary care providers looking to succeed in value-based care, especially when they are members of an accountable care organization." Erin Patrick
Executive Director

"The HIE supplies Aledade's app with ADT information to let me know when my patients are in the ED or hospital in a very timely manner. This information lets me follow up with patients to make sure they get the care they need to be healthy after discharge and that they understand any new medications and instructions. I can also help create a plan to help keep them healthy and avoid other expensive visits to the ED or hospital. The HIE data, accessible through the Aledade app, gives me insights outside my practice, enabling me and my practice to go further than ever before with coordinating care and improving quality, which helps me better serve my patients! This is a real step forward for primary care." Dr. Amy Cunningham
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

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