Providers are less likely to exchange data of patients with private insurance, suggesting financial incentives may be limiting health information exchange according to a study in the American Journal of Managed Care.
Over a 14-month period, researchers analyzed 11,960 instances of health information exchange, representing 9,399 patients, which occurred at the MetroHealth System in Cleveland. The exchange information was then compared with patients' demographic and insurance information. The researchers also issued a survey to the hospitals' physicians to assess the perceived benefit of sharing patients' health information with other providers.
Results showed physicians overwhelmingly saw the benefit in exchanging patient data. According to the survey results, 93 percent of physicians felt exchanging data fostered more efficient care, 85 percent reported time savings, 84 percent said exchange decreased their laboratory usage, 74 percent said exchange reduced their imaging usage and 15 percent believed sharing patient data prevented at least one unnecessary admission.
Results also showed commercially-insured patients have 22 percent lower odds of having their information shared. "These patients' providers may have been aware of larger reimbursements for services among commercially insured, making the additional effort required to reduce redundant services through HIE less financially rewarding," suggest the study's authors. They suggest a policy change requiring private insurers to have a financial stake in health information exchange networks may help foster reimbursement policies that lead to greater use of health information exchange for privately-insured patients.
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