The Evolution of Clinical Information Exchange: Balancing Privacy and Access in the Digital Age

Clinical information exchange has come a long way since the days of paper medical records stowed away in filing cabinets. Rather than drowning in a sea of hand-written documents, health care leaders of today are making leaps and strides to improve data accessibility through interconnected digital systems.

The history of exchanging health information is long and storied, but learning from our past and understanding the present is key to achieving a future where patients can access all their health data in one easy, secure location. In the latest spring issue of For the Record Magazine, HealthMark CEO Bart Howe dives into the past, present and future of health information exchanges and interoperability.

As clinical information exchange advances, health care moves closer to a future where patients can access all their health data in one easy, secure location. But despite advancements in technology, regulation, and processes in recent years, health care data remains incredibly fragmented. Breaking down all these barriers is critical to achieving three core health care goals:

• improving care coordination by eliminating data siloes;
• empowering patients by improving access to their own health information; and
• reducing administrative strain for health care professionals.

Though we continue to make progress in expanding interoperability, many challenges persist today—and one of the most enduring of these challenges is balancing the need to make health data more accessible while also keeping it secure.

You can read the full article here.