title: A tale of three cities--where RHIOS meet the NHIN.
abstract: Regional health information exchanges in California, Indiana, and Massachusetts have been collaborating on a prototype for a nationwide health information network, first under the auspices of the Markle Foundation's Connecting for Health program and now under contract to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Since mid-2004, this collaboration has evolved from a collection of regional efforts to a standards-driven cooperative and now to one of four prototype national networks fostered by federal efforts. This development reflects a maturing market for interoperability and integration in healthcare information technology, starting with RHIOs, and suggests one response to the industry's need for the type of plug-and-play information exchange available in other industries. The authors share their experiences and their views of how RHIOs and a Nationwide Health Information Network will further develop to make interoperable electronic health records a reality in coming years. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official view of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
authors.affiliation: CSC Global Health Solutions, Waltham, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: DeBor
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diamond
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grodecki
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halamka
authors.forename: J Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Overhage
authors.forename: Clay
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shirky
mesh_terms: D001900:Boston; D002140:California; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016494:Computer Security; D003219:Confidentiality; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D007256:Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012040:Regional Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012308:Risk Management; D018511:Systems Integration; D014481:United States