Pediatric Informatics: Computer Applications in Child Health (Health ...

406 J.H. Schneider
Understanding opportunities and obstacles including marketplace
characteristics
Generating regional support for participation, particularly among physicians,
hospitals, and other key stakeholders and identifying and supporting
champions
Creating the business case for development and obtaining funding
Establishing a governance structure
Assessing information technology capabilities and needs; and
Developing health information standards and policies, particularly with respect
to pediatrics.
31.7.1 Understanding the Opportunities and Obstacles
Including Marketplace Characteristics
Among the many factors for HIE success is a thorough understanding of marketplace
dynamics. Marketplaces differ dramatically in terms of their ability to form
and support an HIE and their willingness to include pediatrics.
Questions that should be answered include:
Are physician groups, hospitals, payors, medical societies, etc. willing to work
together?
Is there a dominant group, hospital, or payor in the area?
Is the region contiguous with other states and likely to need a multistate HIE?
Is penetration of EMR use significant enough to allow a clinically useful volume
of data to be electronically captured?
Is there acceptance of the idea of a HIE among the population of the region,
particularly with regard to concerns over privacy?
With regard to child health, EMR use by pediatricians may be lagging versus other
physicians. If so, children’s data would be underrepresented in such a HIE. The
presence of more than one children’s hospital or more than one medical school
in a region can contribute to competitive roadblocks that hold back progress with
respect to children’s health information. Pediatricians and child heath providers
are typically not the dominant medical force in most locations. Aligning with the
dominant forces – e.g., groups, hospitals, and payors – without alienating other
nondominant participants is critical.
31.7.2 Generating Regional Support for Participation
by All Parties, Particularly Physicians, Hospitals,
and Other Key Stakeholders
It is critical to identify and cultivate champions knowledgeable about child health
and informatics to identify and overcome obstacles. While one might expect that