HIE Overview

A health information exchange (HIE) is a secure computer network that connects the electronic health information systems of different health care providers, enabling those providers to share clinical and demographic data of patients they have in common. Click here to view a recorded technical introduction to the HIE, in which VITL Solutions Engineer Jennifer Moran explains the various components of the HIE and how they work.

The Vermont Legislature has named VITL as the operator of the Vermont Health Information Exchange, the exclusive statewide HIE for Vermont. The illustration to the right shows the current footprint of the HIE in Vermont. As you can see, there are health care organizations connected across the state and more are being connected every month.

So far, VITL has connected almost all of Vermont's 14 hospitals to the Vermont Health Information Exchange. There are also more than 60 Vermont physician practices participating in the exchange, receiving and sending data. Each month, the Vermont Health Information Exchange processes more than 1 million transactions, such as lab test results, radiology and other transcribed reports, and clinical data summaries.

The short video below describes how the Vermont Health Information Exchange operates and features an interview with a provider who discusses the benefits that his practice has seen using VITL's health information exchange services.

Click here for a list of VITL's HIE services.