I’m proud to share that the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) has published our landscape assessment of health information exchange (HIE) in California. The issue brief is titled Health Information Exchange in California: Assessment of Regional Market Activity, and is accompanied by an Overview of Network Types and Characteristics.
The issue brief profiles four regions – Los Angeles County, Fresno and Environs, Sacramento Metro, and Humboldt County – that represent the diversity of the state and diverse approaches to HIE. In each case, we seek to identify the leading motivators for and methods of exchange as well as gaps and challenges, delving into the unique strategies of specific communities and organizations.
I highly recommend that anyone interested in HIE take the time to read the full report. One could quickly peruse the opening sections to take in the overall findings, but that would leave one with a two-dimensional understanding of a three – or more! – dimensional phenomena. The ingenuity and passion of local actors to realize meaningful data sharing in the face of tremendous challenges animate our regional profiles, which form the core of the issue brief. I hope that these profiles are rich enough that, as you read them, you form your own state-level conclusions, which may or may not be the same as ours. If so we are eager to hear them!
In a companion post next week, my colleague Karen Ostrowski will examine recently passed legislation that sets up a critical year ahead for determining the long-term structure of HIE in California, and there is a lot at stake in the outcome. While there will be competing interests and fierce debate over seemingly arcane topics, I trust that our professional community will operate in good faith, as it typically does. As we expressed in the issue brief, “[We] … wish to acknowledge the dedication and creativity of [our] colleagues in the field, who show up to work every day behind the scenes so that providers and their partners have the information they need to make a positive impact in peoples’ lives.” This dedication and creativity will be key ingredients for any successful policy outcomes that build on existing efforts, such as those highlighted in our report, while empowering innovative new approaches across the state.