Abstract
Objectives
To determine which health information exchange (HIE) technologies and information retrieval pathways healthcare professionals relied on to meet their information needs in the context of laboratory test results, radiological images and reports, and medication histories.
Study Design
Primary data was collected over a 2-month period across 3 emergency departments, 7 primary care practices, and 2 public health clinics in New York state.
Methods
Qualitative research methods were used to collect and analyze data from semi-structured interviews and participant observation.
Results
The study reveals that healthcare professionals used a complex combination of information retrieval pathways for HIE to obtain clinical information from external organizations. The choice for each approach was setting- and information-specific, but was also highly dynamic across users and their information needs.
Conclusions
Our findings about the complex nature of information sharing in healthcare provide insights for informatics professionals about the usage of information; indicate the need for managerial support within each organization; and suggest approaches to improve systems for organizations and agencies working to expand HIE adoption.
To determine which health information exchange (HIE) technologies and information retrieval pathways healthcare professionals relied on to meet their information needs in the context of laboratory test results, radiological images and reports, and medication histories.
Study Design
Primary data was collected over a 2-month period across 3 emergency departments, 7 primary care practices, and 2 public health clinics in New York state.
Methods
Qualitative research methods were used to collect and analyze data from semi-structured interviews and participant observation.
Results
The study reveals that healthcare professionals used a complex combination of information retrieval pathways for HIE to obtain clinical information from external organizations. The choice for each approach was setting- and information-specific, but was also highly dynamic across users and their information needs.
Conclusions
Our findings about the complex nature of information sharing in healthcare provide insights for informatics professionals about the usage of information; indicate the need for managerial support within each organization; and suggest approaches to improve systems for organizations and agencies working to expand HIE adoption.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | American Journal of Managed Care |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 11 Spec No. 17 |
| Pages (from-to) | SP494-SP501 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISSN | 1096-1860 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2014 |
Keywords
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
- Health Information Exchange
- Information Retrieval
- Push
- Pull
