Health Information Exchange: Contributions from 2024

Summary

Objectives: To summarize the recent literature and research and present a selection of the best papers published online and in print in 2024 related to Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Health Information Systems (HIS).

Method: Using Covidence as a screening and analysis tool, a systematic review of the literature was independently conducted by the two HIE section editors. Ten studies emerged as suitable for final IMIA Yearbook consideration.

Results: Among the papers reviewed, there were far fewer papers about technology and infrastructure, and more papers on the use of HIE/HIS by clinicians and health professionals, and discussions about barriers and facilitators related to HIE/HIS use. Of the three papers selected across unique countries (Japan, US, and Nepal), there were eight cross-cutting themes.

Conclusions: Review of the literature revealed more international studies this year, suggesting perhaps a maturing, but not yet fully mature, of the HIE/HIS infrastructure and governance in other countries and/or increased access to systems and data for research. In terms of study locations, only half of the final 10 papers were US based. Considering the larger corpus of literature reviewed and the changing landscape of electronic health record systems in the US (i.e., especially consolidation in the acute care hospital marketplace with a few dominant vendors), section editors have discussed the potential for expanded and/or more robust HIE and the broader HIS landscape, including vendor-specific HIEs/HIS. Globally, there is increased consideration of open data standards, citizen's rights and controls over one's data, and concerns about data provenance and data governance. Additionally, health data exchange and sharing, privacy and security, governance, and public policy create a persistent tension between what is possible and what is achieved regarding domestic, international, and intercontinental health data exchange. As AI finds more uses within health data, increased governance may be warranted to decrease friction between privacy and security vs. data sharing.