HIMSS HIElights: Health Information Exchange (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organisation (RHOI) Resources

A health information exchange (HIE) is defined as the mobilisation of healthcare information electronically across organisations within a region, community or hospital system. The goal of an HIE is to facilitate access to and retrieval of clinical data to provide safe, timely, efficient, effective and equitable patient-centreed care. An HIE is also useful to Public Health authorities to assist in analyses of the health of the population.

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) maintains updated information on HIE news, advocacy and public policy information, technology and resources. Resources include audio recordings outlining the 2009 outlook for healthcare IT (HCIT) grants funding, a healthcare job mine and upcoming HCIT conferences. Formal organisations are now emerging to provide both form and function for HIE efforts. These organisations (often called Regional Health Information Organisations or RHIOs) are geographically-defined entities which develop and manage a set of contractual conventions and terms, arrange for the means of electronic exchange of information, and develop and maintain HIE standards. Learn the latest information about HIEs and RHIOs by clicking "Download Whitepaper" to request the URL to this resource.