Oklahoma Moves Forward With Statewide Health Information Exchange Rules

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) Board of Directors voted to approve administrative rules to implement a bill that requires healthcare providers to connect to a statewide health information exchange (HIE).

Senate Bill 1369, passed by the state legislature in May 2022, established The Office of the State Coordinator for Health Information Exchange and mandated that all licensed healthcare providers participate in the HIE by July 1, 2023.

The state partnered with MyHealth Access Network as the state-designated HIE entity.

“With the HIE, we can vastly improve public health, care coordination, records exchange, and address care fragmentation for providers,” Stephen Miller, CHCIO, state coordinator for health information exchange, said in a public statement. “Utilizing our partnership with MyHealth, the State Designated Entity for HIE operations, we are on the road to making this vision a reality.”

The HIE supports the electronic collection, storage, and exchange of clinical information across disparate healthcare systems while adhering to HIPAA and privacy and security standards.

HIE use cases include improving coordination during care transitions and reducing adverse drug events. Additionally, HIE can reduce healthcare costs associated with duplicate testing, hospital readmissions, and emergency department visits.

“Oklahoma is on a health transformation journey, and OHCA had made a commitment to making sure we are doing everything we can to provide better health outcomes for our friends and neighbors,” said Kevin Corbett, secretary of health and mental health and Oklahoma Health Care Authority CEO. “With the HIE, Oklahoma providers can better monitor and focus on whole-person health care for their patients.”

The press release noted that the HIE will also allow public health authorities to analyze broad, de-identified population health data to determine the effectiveness of treatments and gaps in care.

Only high-priority health information will be included in the HIE, as required by Federal regulations.

Providers do not need to transmit psychotherapy notes or behavioral health data covered by 42 CFR part 2 to the HIE. Additionally, providers may exclude any patient data that is legally obligated to be kept confidential.

“We are excited that we are entering into this next stage where more people will be able to make the choice to participate, if that’s what they wish to do, so that when we are providing care, we can do so at the highest possible level,” said Carrie Slatton-Hodges, commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Providers can apply or file for an exemption based on the type of provider, financial or technical hardship, or size of the practice at OKSHINE.Oklahoma.gov.

Organizations and providers currently connected to MyHealth Access Network in compliance with SB 1369 do not need to take additional action.

The Office of the State Coordinator for Health Information Exchange will offer training events to assist providers in connecting to the HIE. Stakeholders can submit training event inquiries to [email protected].