With regional health information organizations (RHIOs) at the center of plans for constructing a National Health Information Network, the group that represents state chief information officers is calling for its members to have a bigger say in how such organizations develop.
Except for the few that already have statewide RHIOs, most states have multiple regional efforts under way, the National Association of State CIOs pointed out in a recent informational brief. In those situations, state CIOs can play a pivotal role.
“Integrating these regional efforts will become a critical aspect of state CIO responsibility,” NASCIO said in the brief.
That’s because, unlike other collaborative efforts, RHIOs tend to rely on the organization as the governing entity rather than depending on specific leaders. However, that approach can lead to uncertainty, and state CIOs could help by serving in an advisory capacity and representing the technical interests of a state’s varied health programs, NASCIO said.
Also, with no federal architecture standards for RHIOs, CIOs “can advocate for the discipline and process of enterprise architecture as a way to rationalize the complexity of standards.”
NASCIO believes states will also have a major role to play in RHIOs’ development simply because they are among the biggest health care payers, providers and employers, and they control much of the regulation and licensing for health care providers. That gives CIOs a stake in using the state’s purchasing power to encourage adoption of health information technology.
CIOs are ready for this level of involvement with RHIOs, NASCIO said. In a survey conducted during a May 2007 conference, nearly half of those questioned believed state CIOs should be very involved in state RHIOs, and no one thought they should not be involved.
“State CIOs have an opportunity to help generate real savings for states by becoming involved in health IT initiatives such as RHIOs,” said Thomas Murray, Vermont’s CIO and chairman of NASCIO’s Health IT Working Group. “By gaining a seat at the table early in the process, state CIOs can help shape [RHIO] practice and policy from the beginning while acting as an advocate for RHIO efforts.”
Government Health IT will present Liesa Jo Jenkins, executive director of CareSpark, in an eSeminar at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, where she will share her experiences and insight into building a health information exchange that enhances community health, rewards regional collaboration and drives economic progress.
