SURVEY SHEDS LIGHT ON KEY REGIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION ORGANIZATIONS
BENEFITS AND ISSUES

Chicago, November 1—Findings of a recent survey—which polled senior executives, physicians, health information management (HIM) and health information technology (HIT), and other healthcare professionals—shows hospitals and clinics as the dominant Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) participants, with emergency department, diagnostic and clinical data as the most commonly shared types of information. While many healthcare providers have a high level of interest in RHIOs to help them share patient information and increase collaboration, funding and system interoperability continue to be challenges in creating these cooperative networks of healthcare organizations according to the study.

Conducted by Healthcare Informatics magazine, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and the Association of Medical Directors Information Systems (AMDIS)—with funding support from McKesson and EMC Corporation—the survey provides insight into the drivers and challenges behind the development of RHIOs.

“The survey results showed a majority of healthcare providers are looking to RHIOs to streamline the flow of patient information and address issues such as patient safety, population health improvement, compliance, and cost reduction,” said Jim Hassig, publisher, Healthcare Informatics. “However, the supporting IT systems must be in place, the initiative must be funded, and there must be executive or community leadership.”

Fifty-five percent of respondents provided details about the progress of RHIO development in their communities. Among those respondents, 64% indicated that their organization was currently participating or planning to participate in a RHIO while only 36% said they did not expect their organizations to participate in the foreseeable future.

Respondents whose healthcare organizations are currently members of RHIOs noted several benefits, including the ability to share a wide variety of patient information and clinical and emergency data. These results suggest that RHIOs are enabling healthcare providers to improve patient care and meet regulatory requirements, while at the same time reduce clinical and administrative costs.

“The case for creating a RHIO was quite compelling as we looked to further advance the safety, quality and efficiency of healthcare in our region," said Dr. Todd Rowland, director of medical informatics, Bloomington Hospital in Bloomington, Ind. Rowland has worked with regional medical practices and Bloomington Hospital to develop the E-Health Collaborative to provide secure, confidential access and exchange of patient data across geographical and organizational boundaries. The E-Health Collaborative was established in 2004 and includes participation by 80% of the physician practices in the area.

Despite promising results, some survey participants expressed concerns about forming RHIOs. Respondents whose healthcare organizations plan to participate in a RHIO in the future, ranked inadequate deployment of technology and lack of funding as the top two most common obstacles delaying their participation. RHIOs like the E-Health Collaborative, however, have found a solution.

“By identifying the short- and long-term benefits and the return on investment, we were able to help justify funding and accelerate participation,” Rowland said. The most common sources of funding cited by survey respondents were investments from stakeholder organizations (42%) and grants (40%).

Awareness of RHIOs varied by healthcare profession, with chief medical information officers being the most knowledgeable group of respondents regarding the RHIO status of their organization. Though RHIO implementation is viewed as an IT function, the majority thought physicians and HIM professionals would have full involvement in the planning of the data exchange across and beyond their organizations.

“Improving the flow of information among today’s healthcare providers is the responsibility of the entire healthcare organization, from IT and HIM to physician staff and senior management,” notes Don Mon, PhD, vice president of practice leadership at AHIMA.

The survey was fielded electronically between September 1 and September 16, 2005, using a list compiled from Healthcare Informatics subscribers and AHIMA and AMDIS members. To view the survey, visit http://www.ahima.org/hitweek/. The complete research results appear in the November 2005 issue of Healthcare Informatics and more in-depth analysis of the findings can be found in the December issue of AHIMA Advantage.

About AHIMA
AHIMA is the premier association of health information management professionals. AHIMA’s 53,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment though leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. For information about the association, go to www.ahima.org.

About AMDIS
The Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the education and professional development of physicians responsible for healthcare information technology. For more information, visit http://www.amdis.org/.

About Healthcare Informatics magazine and The McGraw-Hill Companies
Healthcare Informatics, an award-winning monthly journal published by The McGraw-Hill Companies, provides timely, high-quality intelligence about information technology systems and services for IT teams in care provider and payor organizations of every type. Reaching 40,000 professionals, Healthcare Informatics covers the $35 billion healthcare IT market's news and trends, and delivers in-depth articles on critical issues such as patient safety, records privacy and security, and electronic health records. For more information, visit www.healthcare-informatics.com.

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, BusinessWeek and McGraw-Hill Education. The corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2003 were $4.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

About McKesson
McKesson Corporation is a Fortune 15 healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 172-year history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit us at www.mckesson.com.

About EMC
EMC Corporation is the world leader in products, services and solutions for information management and storage that help organizations extract the maximum value from their information, at the lowest total cost, across every point in the information lifecycle. Information about EMC’s products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.