Table 4 Benefits of HIE for small physician practices and FQHCs, with exemplar quotes

Improved productivity at initial visit

“When I get the information from the hospital or other providers, there is more value for the patient. I can know more even for the first visit. And usually can get more accomplished during that first visit than if I have to repeat all of the info that’s already in the system from somewhere else”.

Improved completeness of patient records

“I guess has a patient who was to the emergency room 84 times in a year. Eighty-four times in a year. I think [we] knew about five of them or something like that… For the first time our providers are seeing a chunk of clinical information about their patients that they’ve never had access to and that’s been a pretty revolutionary impact for them”.

Avoidance of duplicative services/patient financial risk

“During the initial visit, you can see if they had the labs done. You won’t duplicate any labs that were recently done and the patient wouldn’t have to pay out-of-pocket if you repeated those tests or x-rays. Also, it’s just better care. Let’s say you had a condition where you really needed to get that lab, I just think it’s better care”.

Improved non-visit consults

“I had a patient with lung cancer who called me at two in the morning because he was anxious. He was having shortness of breath. He couldn’t breathe correctly. I was able to actually use [HIE] data from his previous encounters in the hospital and his other providers. I saw what his actual oxygen saturation was, so I just told them maybe you better just go ahead and call 911. He actually ended up in the ICU”.