Dive Brief:
- This week the Massachusetts Hiway, the state's health information exchange, launched its automated search and retrieve function, iHealthBeat reports.
- The HIE went live in October 2012, focused largely on functions that could help hospitals comply with Meaningful Use; during its first year, Mass HIway connected 55 Massachusetts hospitals and medical centers.
- To date, the HIE has helped support care coordination, case management, quality reporting and public health. Its new query-and-response function allows providers to locate, request and retrieve patient medical records from around the state, according to iHealthBeat.
Dive Insight:
It's always good to see HIEs maturing, as they have powerful work to do in the healthcare system. However, we shouldn't be too impressed yet with a query-and-response record locator, as that's quite a blunt instrument given clinicians needs' when patient migrate from hospital to hospital. Sharing records that are based on one episodic visit is a step in the right direction, but there are many, many more steps to take.