Frequently
Asked Questions About the Oklahoma State Health Information Exchange (OKSHINE)
How Did We
Get Here?
The original HIE
effort was first announced by the Health Care Authority back in 2020. At that
time, the Health Care Authority contracted with an out-of-state platform called
Orion to set the program up, but OHCA intended to run the program in house, which
would have required every provider in the state to adopt that new system.
Legislation (SB 574) to formalize this agreement was passed into law in May
2021. However, shortly after the OHCA’s selection of Orion was announced,
MyHealth filed a complaint against the bidding process, pointing out their bid
was approximately $30 million lower than Orion’s. After several months of
negotiation and legal wrangling, OHCA and MyHealth reached an agreement under
which the state would still use the Orion platform, but the data would flow
through MyHealth. The legislature passed a measure (SB 1369) last session to
implement the framework of this agreement.
What Does the
Law Say?
SB 1369
requires all licensed health care providers in the state to report health care
data to MyHealth.
Why Did the
State Want an HIE?
The goal of the
health information exchange is to improve patient outcomes by allowing for
greater sharing of data. Physicians will have the ability to better manage and
coordinate care by being able to see patient medication lists, be notified of
admissions, discharges or transfers from hospitals, improving care coordination
and avoiding redundant testing.
What Do
Physicians Need to Do?
MyHealth is
already compatible and sharing data with many major electronic medical records
(EMR) systems. For physicians whose office or hospital is already using those
systems, the transition should be relatively seamless. However, for physicians
without a compatible EMR, meeting the bill’s requirements will be more
complicated. Physicians can either implement a compatible EMR or can contract
directly with MyHealth.
What Will
This Cost?
For those
physicians with a compatible EMR, there should be no additional costs. For
those contracting directly with MyHealth, costs could be up to $5,000 for
initial setup. There are legislative efforts going on to allow the state to
offset these costs but, as of this writing, nothing has yet been passed to
provide the necessary funding.
What Does
This Mean for Patient Privacy?
The law
specifically says data will be collected only in accordance with relevant state
and federal privacy laws, including HIPAA. However, the lack of specificity has
raised concerns, particularly among those in the mental and behavioral health
fields, where compliance with the privacy protections of CFR 42 are paramount.
Any patient may opt out of having their health records shared by filling out this form.
Can a
Physician Receive a Waiver?
OHCA rules do
allow physicians to apply for an exemption from the mandate based on “type of
health care provider, financial hardship, size, or technological capability of
a health care provider or organization.” Waivers may be requested by filling
out this application. However, please note the OHCA
rules specify the exemption is not permanent and must be renewed annually.