As an HIE, Reliance eHealth Collaborative works diligently toward facilitating the seamless, near real-time exchange and aggregation of patient health data through our existing robust network of connectivity across a diverse range of healthcare data systems and settings. As patient health information is exchanged and aggregated across the Reliance network the HIE identifies data that is possibly more appropriately actionable in a Community Information Exchange (CIE) environment than in the HIE environment. Reliance is working to make this data available to authorized users through the HIE Community Health Record (CHR) and expects that when CIE platforms are capable of consuming this data we will establish integration that allows the appropriate cross–sector exchange of data regardless of the EHR or CIE platform is being used by a healthcare provider or community–based organization.
Among the services provided to HIE participants, is an eReferral platform that enables closed–loop referral management between participating healthcare organizations. Our eReferral capabilities can provide some basic community referral capabilities when healthcare systems are involved in the referral activity and coordination of care and services. However, Reliance does not plan to engage in the building of community networks that are so critical to the success of CIE and thus are not a replacement or competition for CIE solutions being explored in communities across the Northwest.
Reliance eHealth Collaborative looks forward to the implementation of Community Information Exchange functionality across the communities we serve as a regional health information exchange in Oregon and Washington!
Health information exchange (HIE) services, such as those offered by Reliance, allows doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other health care providers and patients to appropriately access and securely share a patient’s vital medical information electronically—improving the speed, quality, safety and cost of patient care. Reliance services are focused overwhelmingly on the healthcare sector with participating partners spread across the full continuum of healthcare.
More information about HIE may be found on the HealthIT.gov website: https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-and-health-information-exchange-basics/what-hie
Community Information Exchange (CIE) helps connect people with services and resources they need within their cultural and linguistic requirements. In the Northwest, CIE is primarily focused on direct closed loop-referrals management to community-based and social services organizations. In the course of enabling closed loop-referrals across community networks, CIE enables the collection of information often referred to as Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).
More information about CIE may be found on the Oregon Health Authority website: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/OHIT/Pages/CIE-Overview.aspx
Yes, Reliance is actively working on integrations to Aunt Bertha and Activate Care. Reliance anticipates that the HIE will integrate with additional CIE platforms in the Northwest to share appropriate information. Timing of specific integrations with CIE platforms will be driven by Reliance Participating Partners and their needs.
The Rogue Hub is a Southern Oregon initiative started in 2016 to increase cross-sector collaboration with the shared goal of increasing access to services and improving the overall health of our community. At the time, community members cited a host of obstacles to accessing needed resources including overly complex systems to navigate, difficulty completing applications at multiple organizations, varying eligibility requirements and long waitlists. Since then the need has grown due to the wildfires of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rogue Hub model was designed with a “no wrong door” policy which means that wherever a community member shows up, they can access the resources they need. This is particularly important as community members express feeling like a burden and are discouraged when having to share their stories repeatedly while seeking help. This “no wrong door’ policy is supported by a closed–loop referral platform called Reliance eReferrals and four guiding principles; accountability, transparency, shared language and meaningful engagement. Partners use the Reliance eReferrals system to make and receive referrals in a timely fashion and with a warm connection. There are currently 17 Rogue Hub partners and many more that support the Rogue Hub. These various organizations comprise many resources including food, shelter, healthcare, childcare, education, employment, legal assistance, financial help and social support.
Reliance eHealth Collaborative offers a closed–loop referrals platform known as Reliance eReferrals. The eReferrals platform is used primarily by health care providers across Oregon and Washington to enable closed–loop medical referrals. Reliance eReferrals is used in some communities for closed–loop referrals management to allow health care providers, who identify social service needs in their patients, to make referrals to community-based services.
Community–based referrals, such as those offered by various CIE platforms like UniteUs, Aunt Berta, NowPow, etc. enable closed–loop community–based service referrals. CIE platform referrals functionality is used in some communities to allow closed–loop referrals management between community–based organizations and health care providers.
It is anticipated that Reliance eReferrals and Community Based Referrals will eventually integrate to allow referrals to flow across platforms regardless of the sector where the referral originates or is being made. This integration will be driven by Reliance Participating Partners and their needs as well as the promulgation of technical standards that allow the effective and efficient exchange of referral data.
