How do health care providers access patient information from outside their practice, clinic, or hospital to deliver informed care? How do organizations and the communities they serve aggregate and analyze patient information to guide population health improvement? How do care teams that span organizations and sectors (such as health care and housing) use data to collaborate and communicate to provide integrated services that address whole-person needs?

Two companion reports, based on over 20 interviews with statewide and regional leaders, a survey of publicly available information, and the authors’ industry expertise answer these questions.

Health Information Exchange in California: Assessment of Regional Market Activity describes how different forms of health information exchange play out in four California regions: Los Angeles County, Fresno and the surrounding area, the Sacramento metropolitan area, and Humboldt County. Given California’s enormous size and diversity, there is significant variation in how data sharing happens at the local level, with implications for California’s long-term approach to enhancing data exchange across the state over time.

This research builds on CHCF’s regional market studies of local health care systems and the common themes and emerging issues that influence how Californians receive health care.

Health Information Exchange in California: Overview of Network Types and Characteristics delivers a high-level overview of the types of infrastructure used to exchange health-related information in California today. The methods identified put information at the fingertips of clinicians, their organizations, and partnering service providers for the care of individuals and populations. The brief details characteristics and key metrics for each of the following types of health information exchange networks:

• Electronic health record-centered clinical data exchange
• Health information organization-centered clinical data exchange
• Specialized clinical data exchange networks
• Whole-person data exchange networks

Both reports are available under Document Downloads below.

About the Authors

Mark Elson, PhD, is principal, Alex Horowitz is principal technology strategist, and Sokkim Lim, PharmD, is senior clinical consultant at Intrepid Ascent, a consulting firm that guides clients through the adoption and use of technology to improve health outcomes.

Jill Yegian, PhD, is principal at Yegian Health Insights, and provides consulting services aimed at improving the health care system on behalf of patients, providers, and payers.