Electronic Health Information Exchange Organizations (HIEs) of Illinois

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Electronic Health Information Exchange Organizations (HIEs) of Illinois
The health information exchange (HIE) system is the pillar of healthcare delivery in Illinois because it is the means to which promotion, development, and sustenance of health information are achieved (Illinois General Assembly). Thereby, health care facilities are required to adopt electronic health records as it provides a platform that fosters the sharing of information among health care providers within, and outside of, Illinois. The state of Illinois has an opt-out policy that governs the operations of the health information exchanges within the state (Milken Institute School of Public Health 1). Such a policy stipulates that patients have the chance to opt out of the HIE, where their information is automatically stored and/or disclosed by the HIE. Nonetheless, the exception to the policy is in instances when the law permits disclosure to help in public health reporting.
The apparent best practice is the sharing of patient information to avoid duplication of services. Another best practice is the creation of a strong link between behavioral and medical healthcare providers because both physicians and psychologists can interact and discuss the course of treatment among substance abusers (Kho). The interaction between the two types of health care professionals is important for the coordination of health care services. On the same note, the integration of behavioral and medical services led to the inclusion of mental health and addiction services in insurance plans.

It is, thereby, evident that the HIE in Illinois is guided by a comprehensive legal framework that promotes widespread adoption of EHRs that promotes the automatic enrollment of patients. However, patients can willingly be removed from the HIE, but this might jeopardize the exchange of information, which is the gist of the current digitalized health care system. Integrating medical and behavioral health care professionals has been a significant stride that has prompted the need to level mental and medical services.

Works Cited
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiles Statuses. n.d., www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=3267&ChapterID=5.
Kho, Abel. “Building the Illinois Health Information Exchange: The Road to Connecting Practices across the State.” Chicago Medical School, 2014, http://www.cmsdocs.org/news/building-the-illinois-health-information-exchange.
Milken Institute School of Public Health. State HIE Consent Policies: Opt-In or Opt-Out. 2016, https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/State%20HIE%20Opt-In%20vs%20Opt-Out%20Policy%20Research_09-30-16_Final.pdf.