Health information exchange: What matters at the organizational level?

Abstract

The introduction of bundled payment reimbursement focuses on rewarding efficient and high-quality care. In order for bundled payment programs to be successful, collaboration across care settings is essential. Consequently, the introduction of this reimbursement program is expected to be associated with an increase of Health Information Exchange (HIE) among health providers. This paper aims at understanding how the use of HIE can be shaped by organization-specific factors such as trust, power, organizational culture, and leadership, especially when participating in bundled payment initiatives. The study was based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with hospital administrators. Very diverse opinions arose from the interviewees, which leads to the main conclusion that policymakers should take into account differences between diverse hospital settings when adopting policies regarding technological innovations.