Health Data Standards and Terminologies A Tutorial

4: Working Together - Revisiting Organizational Interoperability


Health Information Exchange (HIE)


Adult female army soldier shows the female dermatologist the rash on her arm.

(Image Source: iStock Photos, SDI Productions©)

An important example of organizational interoperability is the Health Information Exchange (HIE). An HIE network enables different healthcare organizations to share patient health information seamlessly, regardless of the specific electronic health record (EHR) systems they use. HIEs use standard formats and protocols, such as those described in this tutorial (FHIR and C-CDA) to ensure that data can be shared and understood by different systems. They also establish governance, policies, and agreements between participating organizations to address issues such as data ownership, consent, and privacy.

eHealth Exchange is one of the largest HIE networks in the United States. It connects federal agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration with healthcare providers and other organizations, allowing them to share health data across systems. For example, a veteran receiving care at a VA hospital can have their health records shared with a non-VA community provider if both are part of the eHealth Exchange.