What is it about?

The purpose of this article is to identify and quantify the benefits of using health information exchange (HIE) in a public health department. We looked at how public health officials used HIE to support STI reporting and treatment in one community, Western New York. We developed workflow models and quantified time savings based on HIE use.

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Why is it important?

This work is important for those interested in HIE, public health, STI identification, reporting and treatment and community health. HIE shows great promise but there is a dearth of quantitative data identifying benefits. We found that HIE supported sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment by making it easier for public health staff to identify and act upon STI diagnoses. Availability of information online resulted in less reliance on provider offices for demographic and treatment information.

Perspectives

We found that using HIE to support treatment and management of STIs can save public health staff time. This was specific to STIs but suggests that public health departments could use HIE for other types of disease surveillance activities. This can enhance effectiveness.

Saira Haque
RTI International

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This page is a summary of: Quantifying benefits of using health information exchange to support public health STI reporting and treatment in Western New York, Health Information Management Journal, October 2017, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1833358317732024.
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