How Health Information Exchange Addresses Rural SDOH Data Hangups

Interoperability is critical for ensuring patient medical records are available across the healthcare sector. However, interoperability and patient data exchange are often difficult to achieve in a rural state, such as Idaho, which spans from the border of Canada all the way down to the border of Utah.

Rural states do not have great data repositories, and it’s difficult for rural providers to exchange social determinants of health (SDOH) data. Leaders at Idaho Health Data Exchange (IHDE) aimed to improve its data repositories by uncovering and integrating SDOH for its users across the state.  

As value-based care brings more focus to patient social needs, health information exchanges (HIEs) allow organizations such as first responders, food banks, schools, and drug and alcohol treatment centers to connect and share patient information.