Week 2 – Discussion 1No unread replies.No replies.
Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.
Health Information Exchange
The term “Health Information Exchange” (HIE) refers to the electronic sharing of health-related information among organizations and the organization that provides services to enable the electronic sharing of health-related information. This discussion will be completed in three parts.
- Part 1: Identify two HIE’s in your state or a contiguous state and complete the following table:
- Part 2: Summarize two similarities and two differences between the two HIE’s you presented in Part1.
- Part 3: After reading your fellow classmates’ posts, evaluate the similarities (minimum of two) and differences (minimum of two) between your selected HIE and a fellow classmate’s HIE’s.
- Which HIE provides the best information for patients? Include at least two reasons to justify your selection.
Guided response: Your initial post should be a minimum of 200-250 words.
- Utilize a minimum of two scholarly sources, excluding the textbook.
- Sources should be cited in APA format, as outlined in the Writing Center.
- Your three required posts must be on three different days of the week.
- You must reply to at least two of your classmates by Day 7.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Health information exchange (HIE) is the electronic sharing of medical data between healthcare providers, hospitals, patients, and other relevant organizations. In this discussion, we will identify and evaluate two HIEs in the contiguous states and discuss their similarities and differences.
Part 1: Identify two HIEs in your state or a contiguous state and complete the following table:
| HIE Name | Purpose | Supporting Organizations | Primary Users |
| — | — | — | — |
| Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN) | To provide better patient care by sharing health information, reducing redundancy, and improving care coordination. | Kansas hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, and payers. | Healthcare providers, payers, and public health organizations. |
| Missouri Health Connection (MHC) | To facilitate the exchange of health data among healthcare providers, to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and improve patient outcomes. | Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, and payers in Missouri. | Healthcare providers, payers, and public health organizations. |
Part 2: Summarize two similarities and two differences between the two HIEs you presented in Part 1.
Similarities:
1. Both KHIN and MHC aim to facilitate the exchange of electronic health records (EHRs) to improve patient care, efficiency, and reduce errors.
2. Both HIEs operate on a subscription basis and provide a secure, web-based platform for accessing patient records.
Differences:
1. KHIN is a non-profit organization, while MHC is a private entity.
2. KHIN provides connectivity to Nebraska and Missouri, while MHC only serves Missouri.
Part 3: Evaluate the similarities and differences between your selected HIE and a fellow classmate’s HIEs.
After reading my classmates’ posts, one similarity between my selected HIE, KHIN, and my classmate’s HIE, IHIE (Indiana Health Information Exchange), is their non-profit status. Another similarity is their focus on improving health outcomes by providing secure access to patient records for healthcare providers.
One difference is that IHIE operates as a state-wide HIE, while KHIN serves multiple states. Another difference is that IHIE also provides population health management tools for providers, which KHIN does not currently offer.
Based on the information presented, it is difficult to determine which HIE provides the best information for patients. Both KHIN and MHC have similar goals and provide a secure platform for sharing patient records. It ultimately depends on the user’s needs and location.
References:
Kansas Health Information Network. (n.d.). About KHIN. Retrieved from https://khinonline.org/about/
Missouri Health Connection. (n.d.). About MHC. Retrieved from https://missourihealthconnection.org/about-mhc/
