Adoption of Health Information Exchange by Emergency Physicians at Three Urban Academic Medical Centers

Summary Objectives: Emergency physicians are trained to make decisions quickly and with limited patient information. Health Information Exchange (HIE) has the potential to improve emergency care by bringing relevant patient data from non-affiliated organizations to the bedside. NYCLIX (New York CLinical Information eXchange) offers HIE functionality among multiple New York metropolitan area provider organizations and has pilot users in several member emergency departments (EDs). Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews at three participating EDs with emergency physicians trained to use NYCLIX. Among “users” with > 1 login, responses to questions regarding typical usage scenarios, successful retrieval of data, and areas for improving the interface were recorded. Among “non-users” with ≤1 login, questions about NYCLIX accessibility and utility were asked. Both groups were asked to recall items from prior training regarding data sources and availability. Results: Eighteen NYCLIX pilot users, all board certified emergency physicians, were interviewed. Of the 14 physicians with more than one login, half estimated successful retrieval of HIE data affecting patient care. Four non-users (one login or less) cited forgotten login information as a major reason for non-use. Though both groups made errors, users were more likely to recall true NYCLIX member sites and data elements than non-users. Improvements suggested as likely to facilitate usage included a single automated login to both the ED information system (EDIS) and HIE, and automatic notification of HIE data availability in the EDIS All respondents reported satisfaction with their training. Conclusions: Integrating HIE into existing ED workflows remains a challenge, though a substantial fraction of users report changes in management based on HIE data. Though interviewees believed their training was adequate, significant errors in their understanding of available NYCLIX data elements and participating sites persist.