For Patients
Thank you for your interest in health information exchange and CORHIO. CORHIO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care in Colorado through health information exchange. You can read more about CORHIO on our about page.
CORHIO helps doctors, hospitals and other health care providers connect their computer-based patient record systems to a protected statewide network. The network is used to securely share information for patient care and this is called health information exchange. Being connected to a health information exchange network allows health care professionals to access up-to-date patient information, which helps them provide you with better quality care. Additionally, the information is shared in a more protected way than paper-based files, faxes and mail.
Click the video thumbnail below to view an introduction to health information exchange.
When It Comes to Your Health, Time Matters
Each year in the United States, there are more than 900 million doctor office visits. And for each one of those office visits, whether you are an established patient or not, you generally are asked to fill out the same paper forms that you filled out on your last visit.
What if your physician had secure access to your personal health information and your benefit eligibility information? What if your physician had the ability to share that information, with consent, with other health care providers to ensure quality and continuity of care? That is possible with secure electronic health information exchange.
What Is Health Information Exchange?
Health information exchange is a method to electronically move personal health and medical information securely between doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers when it is needed for patient care. Health information is protected and exchanged under medical privacy and confidentiality standard procedures. Secure electronic health information exchange allows patients and physicians to make sure that patient health information is available when and where it is needed.
How Is Health Information Currently Shared?
Currently, your health information may be shared between health care providers by telephone, fax, mail, or through limited computer networks. These processes take time and may impose a burden on you or your provider but still not provide a complete record. CORHIO's health information exchange allows one participant (for example, a doctor) to locate records from another participant (for example, a hospital) in a matter of minutes. This can be critical in an emergency and results in your provider having a more complete and accurate health record.
Why Is Health Information Exchange Important?
Health care providers need all of your health information to provide you with an accurate diagnosis or treatment. Each of your providers may have different portions of your medical record. If they can access each other's records and see more complete health information, they can provide you with better care. Sharing your health information can also help reduce your costs by eliminating unnecessary duplication of tests and procedures.
Is CORHIO Currently Exchanging Health Information?
Yes, information is being exchanged between providers through CORHIO's health information exchange (HIE) in a limited capacity between our current connected providers. CORHIO is actively working to implement dozens of other physician offices and hospitals across the Front Range, Eastern Plains, San Luis Valley and Summit County. Additionally, patients of Centura Health and The Children's Hospital will be among the first to benefit because these two health care organizations serve patients throughout the state.
What Are My Rights? Can I Opt Out?
You can decide whether your health information is shared through the CORHIO health information exchange. You can choose not to share your health information and this is called "opting out." By making this choice, your health information will not be available to providers who use the CORHIO health information exchange.
For more information on this topic, please visit our Your Choices and FAQs pages.
Can CORHIO Provide Me With Copies of My Medical Records?
CORHIO staff do not have access to your medical records, therefore we cannot provide access to, nor copies of, any medical records. Please contact your health care provider directly for this type of information.
How Does CORHIO Protect Patient Health Information?
Personal health information in the CORHIO health information exchange is protected by state-of-the-art systems employing many security measures, including administrative, physical and technical safeguards. All systems, including provider EHRs and CORHIO's network, must comply with the security provisions of HIPAA and the HITECH Act. For added assurance, the CORHIO system is subjected to regular third-party security audits. Please visit our FAQs page for detailed information on this topic.
Please share your opinions and feedback!
Take our online patient/citizen survey about health information exchange and the CORHIO website now!
