What is a Health Information Exchange (HIE)?

Health Information Exchange (HIE) allows doctors, nurses, pharmacists, health care professionals and payers who participate in the exchange to electronically access and share a patient’s vital medical information.  Immediate access to a patient’s medical information helps to improve the speed, quality, and cost of patient care.

While sharing medical information between healthcare providers is not new, prior to participating in an HIE, when information needed to be shared, it happened by mail, fax or—most likely—by patients themselves, who frequently carried their records from appointment to appointment. An HIE can greatly improve the speed of accessing important information and helps to provide details of the patient’s medical history by having the ability to timely view records from other participants in the HIE such as past history, diagnostic test results, current medications and other important information. 

HIE Benefits

By having the ability to electronically share patients’ medical histories, whether in a primary care setting, a specialists’ office or emergency department, more and more health care providers are participating in an HIE. HIE helps to facilitate coordinated patient care, reduce duplicative treatments and unnecessary costs and allows access to information that will help your providers make informed decisions about your care.

HIE benefits include:

  • Information is shared privately and securely through the HIE
  • Provides access to immediate information that may improve the care you receive by sharing information such as allergies, the medications you are on, test results, treatments and procedures
  • Provides caregivers with clinical decision support tools for more effective care and treatment
  • Reduces redundant or unnecessary testing and/or treatment
  • Reduces health related costs such as copays, deductibles, other expenses
  • Increases efficiency by eliminating paperwork and the copying of records
  • Reduces the amount of time patients spend filling out paperwork and briefing their providers on their medical history, allowing more time for discussions about health concerns and treatments 
  • Allows the sharing of information even if your health care providers have different electronic health records
  • Improves the patient experience

Blessing Health Information Exchange

We may participate in one or more Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and may electronically share your health information for treatment, payment, and operations purposes with other participants in the HIEs. CareQuality is the HIE Blessing Health System is currently participating in.  You do not need to do anything to continue to allow certain important medical information to be shared electronically via a secure network to other health care providers, health care professionals and payers who may be involved in your care.   Your medical information is protected under federal and state privacy laws.  HIE participants who access your information will only do so if they are involved in your treatment, coordination of care or for payment purposes  You will find more information regarding the HIE at  https://carequality.org/, or by contacting the Blessing Health System Privacy Officer.

HIE Opt-Out: How Do I Not Participate?

You have the absolute right to opt-out of participating in the HIE. Opt-out means that other healthcare providers and organizations will not be able to immediately obtain your health information electronically through the HIE.  If you choose to opt-out, treating providers participating in the HIE will not have immediate access to important information in your medical record to help make decisions about your care.  If you opt-out, none of your health information will be electronically shared from Blessing Health System through the CareQuality HIE.

Note: Health care providers can still obtain your medical records through other means (mail, e-mail, fax, etc.)

For more opt-out information please contact your Blessing Provider Office, Blessing Patient Access/Registration at the point of service, or click here to view the opt-out form. Once you have opted out of the Blessing Health Information Exchange, you will remain opted out until you have completed the opt-out cancelation form. 

HIE Opt-Out and Cancelation

You may cancel your prior opt-out of the Blessing HIE. To start sharing your Blessing health information visit the Blessing Health System Website to complete the Cancel (Rescind) Opt-Out section of the HIE Patient Opt-Out form. Click here to view the opt-out form.

Restricted Visit

If you have asked for a restriction on a prior visit, you have been automatically opted-out of participation of the Health Information Exchange (HIE).  Please contact your provider’s office or visit the Blessing Health System Website for HIE information and complete the Cancel Opt-Out section of the Opt-Out form to start sharing your health information.

(Mental Health Records, HIV test results, Genetic test results and other sensitive information are excluded from the Health Information Exchange.)