Despite promising results, some survey participants expressed concerns about forming RHIOs. Respondents whose healthcare organizations plan to participate in a RHIO in the future, ranked inadequate deployment of technology and lack of funding as the top two most common obstacles delaying their participation. RHIOs like the E-Health Collaborative, however, have found a solution.

"By identifying the short- and long-term benefits and the return on investment, we were able to help justify funding and accelerate participation," Rowland said. The most common sources of funding cited by survey respondents were investments from stakeholder organizations (42%) and grants (40%).


Awareness of RHIOs varied by healthcare profession, with chief medical information officers being the most knowledgeable group of respondents regarding the RHIO status of their organization. Though RHIO implementation is viewed as an IT function, the majority thought physicians and HIM professionals would have full involvement in the planning of the data exchange across and beyond their organizations.

"Improving the flow of information among today's healthcare providers is the responsibility of the entire healthcare organization, from IT and HIM to physician staff and senior management," notes Don Mon, PhD, vice president of practice leadership at AHIMA.

The survey was fielded electronically between September 1 and September 16, 2005, using a list compiled from Healthcare Informatics subscribers and AHIMA and AMDIS members. Complete research results appear in the November 2005 issue of Healthcare Informatics and more in-depth analysis of the findings can be found in the December issue of AHIMA Advantage.

For information about AHIMA, go to www.ahima.org..

For more information about AMDIS, visit www.amdis.org..

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