Report: Local RHIOs aren't likely to become national

A new report suggests that despite its popularity, the dominant model for developing a national health information network may not be working. The report, from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, argues that we're not likely to see a U.S. health data exchange by building local RHIOs and interconnecting them. Why? While more than 100 RHIOs have been launched nationwide, most aren't making it financially, and few are sharing data due to problems with developing data standards, author Daniel Castro notes.

To foster HIE interconnectivity, Congress will need to pass strong legislation promoting EMR use and tighter health data standards, create a legal template for health record databanks, facilitate access to such data banks and make medical practices disclose health information electronically upon request, the report suggests.

To learn more from the report:
- read this Healthcare IT News piece
- read the Foundation's report (.pdf)

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