California Health eQuality Project Summary
HIE Ready
January 2014
PROBLEM
Improved care coordination requires the secure and rapid transmission of medical information
between health care providers' offices and hospitals, which in turn requires widespread adoption of
electronic health records (EHRs) and mechanisms for health information exchange. Many providers
and hospitals have adopted EHRs to meet Meaningful Use (MU) requirements. However, Meaningful
Use does not promote interoperability; instead, it focuses on capturing structured data. The lack of
interoperability between EHR vendors has created a significant barrier for appropriate exchange of
health information between unaffiliated providers.
SOLUTION
The HIE Ready Buyers' Guide was created1 to assist eligible health care professionals and
organizations to:
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Prepare for and implement health information exchange (HIE);
Facilitate side-by-side comparisons of important HIE features based on commonly accepted
interoperability and interface standards of the different products available so they can
include interoperability considerations in EHR buying decisions; and,
Meet ONC Meaningful Use criteria in stage 2 and beyond without having to replace the EHR
systems adopted to meet the needs of stage 1.
The Buyers' Guide reports on six (6) interoperability capabilities and their relative costs:
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Admit, Discharge, Transfer information (ADT) / demographics;
Laboratory and radiology results / notes;
Laboratory and radiology orders;
Referrals and appointments;
Care summary / continuity of care documents (CCD); and,
Public health reporting.
California Health eQuality Project Summary
HIE Ready
January 2014
The Complete HIE Ready Buyers' Guide includes:
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Introduction and background information regarding the program;
The Buyers' Guide (chart);
How to Participate and Contacts;
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with capabilities' matrices; and,
Frequently Asked Questions.
RATIONALE FOR SOLUTION
CHeQ took into account that health care providers consider many factors in choosing the EHR or
health information organization (HIO) best suited to their particular needs and practice environment.
While most EHR systems may include the capacity to share information as specified in HIE Ready, it
may only be available through a complex list of optional components. The format of the HIE Ready
Buyers' Guide Chart was geared to equip health care providers with a clear way to focus on the EHR
features required for their specific health information exchange needs when selecting a service
provider. Vendors participating in HIE Ready have agreed to make all of the optional components
available as a single, “HIE Ready package” rather than a list of confusing options.
Notably, CHeQ's role in garnering participants, evaluating their HIE offerings, and the reporting of
same was vendor neutral. CHeQ does not endorse any particular vendor or HIE approach and
provides the Buyers' Guide Chart simply as a tool to facilitate comparison of the essential
interoperability capabilities among the participants.
OUTCOME AND NEXT STEPS
HIE Ready was implemented in its original format starting in November 2012. The initial
participants included six EHRs and six HIOs. An additional HIO joined soon after. Since then, due
to business reorganization of some entities, one EHR and one HIO have discontinued their
participation.
Going forward, CHeQ has developed a simplified, yet comprehensive, revised version 2.0 of the HIE
Ready MOU with a single matrix to ascertain participating EHRs' capabilities with the goal of
presenting options to health care providers which meet Meaningful Use Stage 2.
California Health eQuality Project Summary
HIE Ready
January 2014
BENEFIT
CHeQ, through HIE Ready and its other programs, has increased awareness throughout the state
and nationally regarding the ability of EHRs (and secondarily, of HIOs) to support interoperability.
The Buyers' Guide provides specific, comparable, quantifiable data on EHR and HIO services
allowing consumers (ambulatory and in-patient practices and health care organizations) to spend
their interoperability dollars efficiently, and reduces the needs of those consumers to be IT
professionals to understand technology offerings.