During Natural Disasters, HIEs on the Front Lines of Addressing Fragmentation in Healthcare

In the middle of California’s fire season, it’s hard not to think about the role healthcare organizations can and must play when it comes to providing and coordinating care for patients during a natural disaster. These events will become more frequent and intense as the impacts of climate change increase.

Natural disasters like the fires emerging here in California serve as a strong reminder of how complex and fragmented our healthcare system is not only in times of disaster but in everyday life, too—especially for those who are most vulnerable.

These disasters shine a spotlight on the importance and value of being able to access patient records—including both clinical and claims data—in real time. And these disasters highlight the role health information exchanges (HIEs) can and must play in connecting all facets of care, from first responders to clinicians to patients and families in search of their loved ones.

Read full article by Claudia Williams, CEO, Manifest MedEx, published in FierceHealthcare.