“Hospitals are shifting their means of exchanging data away from using paper-only methods of exchange. The percentage of hospitals that used only non-electronic means to send and receive information significantly declined between 2014 and 2015. There was a corresponding increase in the percentage of hospitals that used a mixture of paper and electronic methods to send and receive information.
As hospitals transition to electronic means of sending and receiving summary of care records, they may still have to rely on paper-based methods to exchange information due to their exchange partners’ limited capability to electronically receive information; this was the most common barrier to interoperability reported by hospitals. This analysis found that the percentage of hospitals that sent or received summary of care records with long-term care and behavioral health care providers increased significantly between 2014 and 2015, suggesting that there has been some progress in these providers’ capabilities to electronically exchange data with external providers.”
Interesting analysis from the ONC that shows hospitals are shifting their means of exchanging data away from using paper-only methods of exchange (not a new development or big surprise, really).
It is good to see more hospitals move away from paper to exchange health data. It is a bit surprising that there are so many “mixed” or “non-electronic” only reports of data exchange. Another stat that stood out is that a great majority of electronic data exchange was done via the EHR.
One question not asked, but vital for patient care, would be “What percentage of received electronic patient data are you incorporating into your normal EHR workflows?”
With MACRA and the continuing trend of hospital consolidation and acquisition, we anticipate that hospital groups with mixed EHR systems and other technologies will need to utilize an integration engine to harmonize and integrate patient data.
Read the full article at: dashboard.healthit.gov
