Overview
Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and Health Information Networks (HINs) are important partners for electronic case reporting (eCR). They can support policy and technical scalability for eCR to help enable the many-to-many connections needed between clinical care organizations and public health agencies.
Implementing eCR can also support the HIE/HIN mission of reducing the burden and expense of establishing multiple point-to-point connections. HIEs/HINs can be the solution provider that addresses needed public health reporting at the state, indirectly at the federal level. ​HIEs/HINs can connect many healthcare provider organizations to shared eCR services without individual point-to-point customizations, while helping to reduce healthcare provider burden by automating legally required reporting. HIEs/HINs will, in turn, enhance the types of information connected through their networks and provide further value and "stickiness" for existing network participants.
From a policy standpoint, HIEs/HINs can provide an efficient chain of trust with necessary business associate authorities advanced through their participation agreements. From a technical standpoint, HIEs/HINs can connect many healthcare provider organizations to shared eCR services without individual point-to-point customizations. HIEs also have critical relationships with healthcare providers in their communities and can foster the communication that is important to ongoing connectivity and participation. This communication is critical to providing shared value for the program and its ongoing growth for the benefit of providers and the population.
The federally funded eCR services can be provided as a value-added service of existing HIEs. The eCR team is eager to help HIEs promote these services to healthcare sites and EHR companies as a strength of their connecting to the HIE. This section of the website contains information specific to the use of eCR services by HIEs to help reduce healthcare provider burden by automating legally required reporting from their electronic health records.
