What is a Health Information Exchange (HIE)?

A Health Information Exchange (HIE) is a system that enables healthcare organizations to efficiently and securely share patient data electronically. This capability is crucial in modern healthcare as it facilitates better coordination among providers, enhances the accuracy and completeness of patient information, and ultimately supports improved patient care. By allowing different health systems to communicate and access patients' health information seamlessly, HIEs reduce duplication of tests, minimize errors, and ensure that healthcare providers have timely access to necessary information.

The other options describe concepts that do not represent the core function of an HIE. For example, while tracking disease outbreaks is important for public health, it falls under public health informatics rather than health information exchange. A legal framework for health information management is concerned with compliance and regulations rather than the actual exchange of information. Lastly, a facility for storing physical medical records does not capture the electronic nature and purpose of an HIE, which focuses on electronic data sharing rather than the storage of paper documents. Thus, the description of HIE as a system for the electronic sharing of patient data accurately reflects its primary role in healthcare.