To assist public health organizations better understand and use health information exchange, HIMSS and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) have collaborated to produce the Public Health & HIE Toolkit. The Toolkit was developed to help public health departments understand: • what HIE services are and what types of organizations providing them; • how a health department might use or support such services; and • how to assess whether the value of participating in HIE will be worthwhile. Created to help orient HIE organizations (HIOs) to the functions of health departments, the Public Health & HIE Toolkit also explains the value of HIOs as customers and partners in HIE. The HIE Toolkit for Public Health, authored by Seth Foldy, MD MPH FAAFP, received assistance from NACCHO and HIMSS members. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also supported the project. “Health information exchange is a critical technology for public health. Healthcare providers and health departments exchange tens of millions of reports and documents yearly. These protect communities from disease outbreaks, prevent crippling disabilities in newborns, protect against identity fraud, and assess the health of communities and the effectiveness of population health programs,” said Foldy. “The toolkit acknowledges current flux in HIE technology and business models, and is designed to help health departments make sensible business decisions over time.” HIE standardization and accreditation is still in the early stages of development; therefore, health departments need to fully comprehend options when assessing available HIE solutions. Toolkit Details The different elements of this Toolkit are outlined below: – What is Public Health? – What is Health Information Exchange – HIE 101 – Why Bother? Why Partner? Why Now? – Do We Need HIE Today? – Approaching HIE Engagement – Matching Goals & Capabilities – Accessing Risk – Business Case “The Public Health & HIE Toolkit includes clear and concise organization and core information. The tools included in it will assist our department in analyzing HIE opportunities for risks and benefits; preparing recommendations for policy and resource allocation and developing needed data use agreements. I anticipate consulting the toolkit over the next few years, as we move toward health information exchange in our community,” said Kathy Cook, information and fiscal manager, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. Visit http://www.himss.org/public-health-hie-toolkit view the Public Health & HIE Toolkit
