States' progress building statewide health information exchanges varies widely despite the flow of federal grant funding dedicated to helping set-up the networks, according to a survey by the National Association of State Chief Health Information Officers (NASCIO).
Not surprisingly, states that had begun sound HIE efforts prior to funding being made available by the Office of the National Coordinator and the HITECH Act are further along in their plans, according to the survey, NASCIO's fourth report on health IT and the states.
Indiana and New York were cited by NASCIO as states ahead of the HIE development pack.
"The massive influx of federal dollars provides the states with an unprecedented opportunity to implement a health information exchange, but fulfillment of this goal is going to require the ingenuity of the states, state CIOs and stakeholders to make health information exchange a sustainable reality," according to the report, released July 29.
Under ONC's $550 million state HIE program, each state is responsible for enabling health information sharing, building on existing efforts to advance regional HIE and moving toward a nationwide health information network (NHIN) of common standards and services.
Among more active states, the report cited Indiana's plan to create a state-chartered non-profit organization, the Indiana Health Information Technology Inc. (IHIT) to put its $10.3 million slice of the federal grant pool to work.
IHIT works with existing exchange organizations in the state, including the Indiana Health Information Exchange, which has 30 hospitals in its network and has been named by ONC as a beacon or model community.
IHIT plans to expand Indiana's technical infrastructure to add more connectivity in underserved areas, establish standard formats for clinical messages and create a statewide shared healthcare provider directory.
In addition, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration will appoint this summer a statewide health IT coordinator, who with the IHIT, will manage the disbursement of the grant funds.
