Dive Brief:
- Health information exchanges most likely curb emergency room usage and costs, in some cases. But a new systematic review suggests that, for the most part, they're not financially stable.
- In a review conducted by Rand Corporation, which took a closer look at HIE clinical care, cost and usage data from 2003 through 2014, researchers pored through the details and findings of 85 studies related to HIE.
- One big finding: Despite the $600 million of federal funding allocated to support HIEs, most of them are facing hard times and questionable viability.
Dive Insight:
There's been a lot of hype surrounding health information exchanges. However, Rand officials noted that out of 17 sustainability studies examined, only 25% of them considered themselves financially sustainable.
But HIEs are still, largely, in the buildout stage. As the push for care-coordination and efficiency continues, HIEs are poised to grow.