HIE interoperability 'a great hurdle with little relief in sight'

“Despite the incorporation of new meaningful use policies, it is clear that interoperability issues are still stifling organizations’ ability to connect,” the Washington-based eHealth Initiative wrote in its 10th annual HIE survey. “The survey results reveal that interoperability remains a great hurdle with little relief in sight.”

...The eHealth Initiative called the report the “challenge to connect.” Of the 199 HIEs, 68 have had to connect to more than 10 different systems. Seventy five of the 199 HIEs listed hard-to-build interfaces as a key challenge, and 73 listed difficulty encouraging area organizations to share information.

...Despite the obstacles, many HIEs are already connected to EHRs. More than 100 told the eHealth survey that they offer connectivity to EHRs, with continuity of care summaries, a master patient index and results delivery, 65 HIEs are supporting ACOs, and 90 are offering Direct Messaging.
HIEs are still lagging in patient portals...