The average individual sees four health care providers per year, typically requiring the sharing of medical records between these facilities to successfully provide care to the individual. In most instances, the patient is asked to carry paper records between their health care providers.

Optimal decision-making to care for patients requires a more efficient and timely exchange of health data between the different health care providers an individual may see in a year. This is where a Health Information Exchange, or HIE, helps — taking electronic records from each individual hospital or doctor’s office and securely sharing the date between the different health care providers through the HIE. Data is shared using national interoperability standards and security.