Empowering HIEs and CIEs: Comprehensive Solutions for Health Information Exchange

As healthcare delivery continues to evolve toward a more integrated, person-centered model, Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and Community Information Exchanges (CIEs) are uniquely positioned to serve as the infrastructure that ties it all together. These organizations are increasingly tasked with facilitating not just clinical data exchange, but also the integration of behavioral health and social determinants of health (SDoH) information.

However, the path to achieving truly comprehensive data exchange is far from straightforward.

Bridging the Gaps in Interoperability

HIEs and CIEs face a growing set of responsibilities—from navigating privacy regulations to standardizing data across disparate systems, to engaging stakeholders from different sectors. Despite significant advances, many exchanges still contend with outdated infrastructure, inconsistent data formats, and limited support for cross-sector consent management.

The need to incorporate data from community-based organizations, housing services, behavioral health providers, and others has underscored the limitations of traditional health IT systems. These systems were not designed for whole-person care—and adapting them to serve that purpose requires thoughtful planning and purpose-built solutions.

Core Components of a Comprehensive Exchange Ecosystem

Several foundational elements can help HIEs and CIEs better meet the demands of modern interoperability:

• Flexible Data Integration

  Supporting a range of data standards (e.g., HL7, FHIR, CDA) and allowing for dynamic mapping and normalization ensures data is usable across sectors and workflows.

• Consent Management That Reflects Real-World Needs

  Managing consent across clinical, behavioral, and social domains requires tools that are intuitive, interoperable, and sensitive to the legal and ethical nuances of data sharing.

• Support for Non-Traditional Partners

  Many community-based organizations lack technical capacity. Solutions should offer low-barrier entry points, such as web-based dashboards, simplified referral tools, and accessible APIs.

• Actionable Reporting and Population Health Insights

  Exchanges can unlock greater value when they deliver not just data, but insights—supporting planning, resource allocation, and quality improvement efforts.

• Strong Governance and Community Engagement

  Technology alone won’t solve interoperability. Transparent governance, cross-sector collaboration, and continuous stakeholder input are essential to building trust and driving adoption.

Moving Toward Sustainable, Scalable Exchange

The future of interoperability will require HIEs and CIEs to be agile, responsive, and community-centered. This means investing in tools and strategies that support both technical excellence and relational infrastructure. It also means recognizing that behavioral health, social care, and equity must be core components of the exchange ecosystem—not afterthoughts.

Let’s Advance the Mission Together

As the health data landscape continues to shift, the role of HIEs and CIEs will only grow in importance. Organizations tackling these challenges don’t need to go it alone. Sharing lessons learned, aligning on standards, and collaborating across sectors will be key to building durable systems that truly serve people.

If you're working to strengthen your HIE or CIE and looking for strategies that work in the real world, let’s connect. The next phase of interoperability starts with informed, collaborative action.