California needs to choose a model — and embrace it. The challenge for California leaders is deciding how to create a health information exchange system that works for the whole state — collecting patient data in a single unified manner while also making this information accessible to health providers timely and securely.

Two strategic options. California’s new digital infrastructure should serve as a “superhighway” for health information. This infrastructure would bypass roadblocks between providers to connect communities across the state and allow those making critical health care decisions to have the information they need to see the whole picture for their patients.

• A single highway. In some states, a single highway has been built over the years from the ground up — with all information stored in one place and on-ramps and off-ramps entering different communities.
• Digital bridges between regions. In other states, existing networks have been connected through a state hub that digitally bridges different regions and forms of HIE.

California’s system does not do either of these well — yet. But with California’s effort to improve the coordination of care for Medi-Cal enrollees through California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), the time has come for a statewide health data network. This critical infrastructure will link the state’s disparate, fragmented information systems, enabling the right access to health information at the right time — saving public resources, saving time, and saving lives.

CHCF is committed to ensuring the state has the information it needs to make these decisions — commissioning research on what other states have done and on a range of possible use cases. The foundation is also providing additional resources to help the state answer questions about its HIE needs.

Three reports published by CHCF have helped further clarify the choices involved:

• Why California Needs Better Data Exchange: Challenges, Impacts, and Policy Options for a 21st Century Health System
• Designing a Statewide Health Data Network: What California Can Learn from Other States
• Expanding Payer and Provider Participation in Data Exchange