Health Information Exchange in the ED: What Do ED Clinicians Think?

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Systems Integration
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Regional health information exchanges (HIEs) aim to improve healthcare coordination.
• The Carolina eHealth Alliance (CeHA)-HIE serves major hospital systems and emergency departments (EDs).
• Low utilization of the CeHA-HIE prompted an investigation into user perceptions and improvement strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand the reasons behind low utilization of the CeHA-HIE among ED clinicians.
• To explore potential strategies for enhancing the adoption and effectiveness of the CeHA-HIE.

Main Methods:

• A 24-item user survey was administered to ED clinicians using the CeHA-HIE.
• The survey assessed perceptions of usability, functionality, information quality, clinician time value, and ease of use.
• Data were collected from 48 ED clinicians who completed the survey after using the CeHA-HIE.

Main Results:

• Most surveyed ED clinicians perceived the CeHA-HIE as easy to use.
• Respondents indicated that the CeHA-HIE added value to their clinical work.
• A key finding was the desire for better integration of CeHA-HIE information into existing electronic medical record (EMR) systems.

Conclusions:

• The CeHA-HIE is perceived positively regarding usability and value by ED clinicians.
• Improving the integration of HIE data into EMRs is crucial for increasing utilization and maximizing benefits.
• Addressing integration challenges can enhance the overall effectiveness of regional health information exchanges.