State health information exchanges vary widely in their effectiveness, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports (Pecquet, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 2/8).
The authors of the report are Darrell West -- director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution and founding director of its Center for Technology Innovation -- and Allan Friedman, a Brookings fellow in governance studies and research director of the Center for Technology Innovation.
State Differences
For the report, West and Friedman analyzed statewide health data exchanges in:
- California;
- Indiana;
- Massachusetts;
- New York; and
- Tennessee (Lee, Modern Healthcare, 2/8).
Of those states, researchers found that Indiana and Massachusetts have the most successful health data exchanges, while California and Tennessee have the least successful.
The authors wrote that Indiana's exchange could have been bolstered by the launch of the Indiana Network for Patient Care nearly 20 years ago, which served as the model for the state's health data exchange. They added that Massachusetts' health data exchange benefited from state legislation designed to improve the accessibility and affordability of health care.
Meanwhile, Tennessee has faced challenges connecting regional health data exchanges and sustaining parts of its information networks, the report found. It added that California's budgetary problems have hindered the progress of its health data exchange (Bowman, FierceHealthIT, 2/8).
Health Data Exchange Challenges
The researchers wrote that many states face "political, financial, technological and organizational challenges" that have stalled development of their health data exchanges and "slowed the efficacy of megachange in health care." For example, many states have faced difficulty in:
- Determining whether exchanges should be run at the local, state or regional level;
- Reaching agreements on data exchange approaches and strategies; and
- Securing steady revenue streams (Modern Healthcare, 2/8).
Recommendations
To improve the effectiveness of health data exchanges, the authors wrote that "policymakers must present a clear vision, achieve consensus on key objectives, overcome organizational and market fragmentation and work effectively with a range of different constituencies."
They add that successful health data exchanges also need sufficient financial resources and sustainable business models ("Healthwatch," The Hill, 2/8).