Guide to Evaluating Health Information Exchange Projects | AHRQ National Resource Center; Health Information Technology: Best Practices Transforming Quality, Safety, and Efficiency

Guide to Evaluating Health Information Exchange Projects | AHRQ National Resource Center; Health Information Technology: Best Practices Transforming Quality, Safety, and Efficiency

Guide to Evaluating Health Information Exchange Projects Helps Users Assess Impact on Health Care

AHRQ’s “Guide to Evaluating Health Information Exchange Projects” has been updated and redesigned to help those involved in health information exchange (HIE) projects assess an HIE project and create an evaluation plan. An HIE project evaluation can help an organization provide an assessment of the HIE project’s impact on health care, guide data exchange processes and point to barriers or unanticipated consequences of implementing an HIE project. An evaluation can also help assess the longer term clinical and financial impacts of an HIE project and demonstrate return on investment. The guide for HIE projects has six sections to help users through the evaluation process.

Guide to Evaluating Health Information Exchange Projects

This guide describes what is needed to evaluate a health information exchange (HIE) project and develop a realistic evaluation plan. It consists of six sections to assist users in all steps of the HIE project evaluation planning process. It also includes six appendixes that provide additional resources to help capture needed information to include in the plan.



Download Full Guide and Appendixes (PDF, 2.27 MB)



Individual Sections and Appendixes

Six sections and several appendixes, which also can be downloaded individually, are included:

1. Selecting Your Evaluation Team. (PDF, 132 KB) Provides guidance regarding the roles and expertise of an ideal HIE project evaluation team as well as information to help you plan for the skills and expertise needed to successfully conduct your evaluation. 
2. Characterizing Your HIE Project. (PDF, 124 KB) Prepares your team to create the evaluation plan by describing the overall HIE project, identifying stakeholders, and articulating the project’s goals and objectives. 
3. Assessing the Value of HIE. (PDF, 224 KB) Discusses the rationale and requirements for assessing the value of HIE and provides an overview of relevant issues. 
4. Developing Your Evaluation Plan. (PDF, 404 KB) Provides an overview of how to use a step-by-step process to develop an evaluation plan that meets stakeholder needs. 
5. Creating Your Dissemination Plan. (PDF, 161 KB) Offers guidance on how to create a plan to disseminate the results of the evaluation to your stakeholders and highlights key requirements for effective dissemination. 
6. Examples of Evaluation Measures. (PDF, 868 KB) Provides examples of measures that you might use in an evaluation, based on those reported in the literature and other HIE project evaluations. 
7. Appendixes. The appendixes provide additional resources to help you capture the information required for the development of your HIE project evaluation plan. 
   • Appendix A: Workbook (PDF, 245 KB) is a step-by-step workbook that guides you through the key evaluation planning steps and helps to document evaluation priorities, decisions, and candidate measures. 
   • Appendix B: Sample Literature Search Strategy (PDF, 130 KB) is a sample literature search strategy that you could use to identify potential measures. 
   • Appendix C: Tips for Facilitating Brainstorming (PDF, 114 KB) provides helpful suggestions on brainstorming as a way to generate potential measures. 
   • Appendix D: The Importance of Sample Size (PDF, 119 KB) includes a sample calculation and discussion of the importance of sample size. 
   • Appendix E: Glossary (PDF, 70 KB) offers a glossary of key terms used in the Guide. 
   • Appendix F: Resources (PDF, 245 KB) provides an annotated list of resources for sections of the Guide.