Health Information Technology (HIT) and Health Information
Exchange (HIE): What Do Consumers Stand to Gain (Or Lose)?
FACT SHEET
November 2011
There has never been a greater need for consumers and consumer advocates to become involved in
making sure that health IT actually meets their specific needs, such as providing easier access to and
communication with their care team members, more coordinated care, and better access to the
information they need to be more engaged in their own health. Advancing health IT adoption has
become a major focus of the federal government and state and local governments across the nation. The
federal government allocated unprecedented resources to health IT in the Stimulus Law of 2009.
Additionally, health IT implementation is viewed by many as being a foundational component of a more
patient-centered, effective, and efficient health care system. Large employers and private insurers,
particularly, are eager for the efficiencies that become possible when modern technology is used to
improve the delivery of health care.
Quality, effective health care is dependent on an active partnership between clinicians and patients and
their caregivers. This means that health IT can and should also be used in ways that engage patients
and support them and their family caregivers in their roles as members of the health care team, in
addition to making sure health care providers have access to necessary information about their patients
and the latest science pertaining to their care.
The benefits of using health IT do not happen automatically, however, and many initiatives do not
consider consumers a stakeholder group that should be actively involved. Yet consumers may not
benefit directly or as much as they could from investments in health IT that are made without their
input.
Providing direct benefits to consumers so that they are supported in their roles as partners in care is
essential to maximizing the potential of health IT, as well as to redesigning how health care is provided
so that it is more patient-centered. For example:

Convenience: People’s lives are very busy, and navigating the health care system is a timeconsuming, often frustrating process. Health IT presents a way to remove some of the barriers
to accessing the system and accessing critical information that patients need. For example, it
can be used in ways that provide conveniences such as online scheduling of doctors’
appointments, faster access to test results, and on-line submission of pre-visit patient
information or prescription refill requests. Access to health information offers convenience by,
for example, allowing a parent to pull up immunization records from a home computer and
sending them to the school, after-school program and sports program – all without leaving
home or even getting on the phone.

Direct Access to health care information: All individuals have a right to obtain copies of
their health information from their providers, but in a paper-based world this can be a laborious
and costly process. In an electronic environment, providing individuals with secure access to
their health information becomes much easier and less expensive. Plus, health IT can give
individuals the ability to log onto a secure site that provides them with lab and other test results,
updated lists of medications, and instructions for self-care.
Having access to this information is critical for self-management, especially for people with
chronic conditions. It can also be very helpful to someone who is preparing for an office visit
and for family caregivers who may be helping to manage the care of a loved one.

Communication: Health IT can be used to facilitate communication between patients and
their providers. Examples of this include secure email and electronic reminders for specific
services. Consumers benefit most from tools that enable two-way communication. Research
indicates that poor communication is one of the main frustrations consumers have with the
health care system, since it limits their ability to be effective in their roles as active participants
in their care. Health IT, when used in ways that are meaningful to consumers, can help decrease
that frustration, while also addressing the safety and quality issues that often go along with poor
communication.

Care coordination: In our fragmented health care system, paper records do not allow for the
kind of holistic, well-coordinated care that consumers want and need. When health information
can be electronically exchanged, it becomes possible for all members of a health care team –
including the individual and his or her family caregivers – to access that individual’s health
information when and where they need it. This supports better understanding of what the
individuals’ care needs are, who is responsible for meeting those care needs, and the next steps
to move toward the desired health outcome. It is also key to avoiding duplicate tests and
medical errors that happen when one provider doesn’t know about the treatments or
medications another provider has ordered. Electronic tools that help improve communication
and care coordination among members of the care team can be especially beneficial for family
caregivers, who must keep track of lots of information about their loved ones, including
appointments, test results, medications, and general management of complex medical needs
that are addressed at home. Being able to do this with electronic tools makes it much easier for
family caregivers to balance other activities and demands, such as work responsibilities, while
caring for a loved one.

Help with medical decision-making: Access to high-quality information about a particular
condition and various treatment options is critical for helping people choose which one is best
for them. Special tools, called decision aids, can also be offered electronically to help make use
of this information in the context of an individual’s own personal situation.

Avoidance of medical errors and safety issues: Health IT will not prevent all medical
errors, but it can reduce errors that occur as a result of not having the right information at the
right time, illegible handwriting, harmful drug interactions, and other causes that are rooted in
information deficits.

Privacy and Security: While there are many challenges to keeping paper files secure, an
electronic environment creates new challenges to the privacy and security of individuals’ health
information. That’s why a multi-faceted approach to protecting privacy is essential. The
technology itself can offer very effective solutions to many privacy and security issues. For
example:
o Through proper use of health IT, access to an individual’s health information can be
limited by passwords and other measures, so that only those who have a legitimate need
for the information can access it.
o Based on these security measures, a log of who has accessed a specific record can be
created, providing a means of holding anyone who misuses this information
accountable.
o Information can be encrypted, or made unreadable, without official access privileges.
For more information and support, go to www.nationalpartnership.org/hit. This product generously supported by The Markle
Foundation.
The National Partnership for Women & Families is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting
fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care and policies that help women and men meet the dual
demands of work and family. More information is available at www.nationalpartnership.org.
© 2011 National Partnership for Women & Families
All rights reserved.
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