Engaging Consumers: Research Findings: Finding 3
Finding No. 3. Respondents' questions and concerns after hearing a definition of secure health information exchange provided guidance on improving how to communicate about health information exchange. Based upon the research it's important when defining health information exchange to focus on: security, how it works, patient permission, who has access, and benefits of health information exchange to the patient and physician.
Respondents' questions after reading this definition provide helpful guidance in improving how to talk about health information exchange and provide further direction for what additional information needs to be included in this definition.
Unanswered questions included the following:
- What information is exchanged?
- How secure is secure?
- Who has access to the information?
- How are health care providers defined? Does this include insurers, all types of health care providers?
- How does it work?
- How is it set up? Is it one database or many? Who has the information?
- Is the system regional, national or global?
- What is the back-up system?
- Will a patient be able to view the information?
- How long is the information available online, lifetime or one time exchange?
- Do providers have open access and an open authorization or is it on a one time basis?
- Who pays to set this up? What is the cost to me?
- What role does HIPAA play?
- How do you know the information exchanged is trustworthy and not fraudulent?
In addition, physicians had other specific unanswered questions:
- Do I have to pay to set this up in my practice?
- How are we going to learn how to use it?
- Who is going to pay to train my staff?
- What is my liability?
- Is this exchange beyond health care services, for instance could the information be used in court?
