Framework of Performance Measures for Health Information Exchange (HIE).

Health Information Exchange (HIE) is the most prevelant patient information sharing technology currently in use. Although a number of regional healthcare information systems exist in Japan, little is known about the effectiveness of the systems or how effectiveness should be measured. As an approach to this issue, we developed a framework for measuring effectiveness of HIE using the dimensions for health indicators from ISO/TS 21667:2004 "Health Indicators Conceptual Framework". Three phases for measuring HIE are defined: Phase I: the static aspects of a system; Phase II: the use of the system; Phase III: the outcomes of the use of the system. Complex factors involved in HIE are organized and objectives of evaluation are made clear. The domains to which measures are applied and categories of measures are defined. Sample measures extracted from publications and co-authors' studies are discussed. This work is the first step towards the systematic development of a framework of measures of the effectiveness of HIE.