A “Health Information Exchange” (HIE) gives authorized healthcare providers access to their patients’ electronic health records within routine clinical workflows. In Maine, the system is unique in that it connects healthcare organizations across the state that may not be affiliated with each other in order to tell the most comprehensive story of a patient’s health, wellness, and wellbeing. This allows authorized healthcare providers across the state to better support and coordinate care regardless of where their patients are seen.

HealthInfoNet is an independent nonprofit information services organization based in New Gloucester, Maine, which serves as the State of Maine’s designated operator of its statewide HIE. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more.

HealthInfoNet’s core service to participating healthcare providers includes access to its statewide electronic health record system. Additionally, participants may be eligible to receive other value-add services such as real-time notifications, analytics and reporting, public health reporting, and much more depending on their organizations’ preferences, technical requirements, and defined scope of services. Head to our What We Do page to learn more.

State of Maine law requires HealthInfoNet to manage patient consent choices submitted by patients via the HIE’s participating healthcare providers.

For non-sensitive data types (i.e., general medical information), an “out-out” model is leveraged, whereby patients’ non-sensitive health information is automatically included in the HIE unless they deliberately choose not to share (i.e., opt-out) that type of information with HealthInfoNet. When a patient opts-out, it applies to all HIE participants and locations of care. 

Additionally, State of Maine law enables HealthInfoNet to receive state-protected mental health information from HIE-participating healthcare providers under an “opt-in” model of consent, whereby patients’ sensitive health information is not automatically included in the HIE unless they deliberately choose to share (i.e., opt-in) that type of information with HealthInfoNet. Providers’ access to this information within the HIE is based on individual patients’ specific consent choices.

Lastly, for sensitive health information classified as “Substance Use Disorder” data, protected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) per its 42 CFR Part 2 rule, HealthInfoNet does not currently collect this information from participating healthcare providers. If participants store this information within their EHR systems, the HIE requires it to be sequestered/blocked prior to transmitting any other general medical and/or sensitive health information with the HIE.

For more information about the HIE’s patient consent choices, visit our For Patients page to learn more.

At the core of the HIE’s data integration service is HealthInfoNet’s enterprise data aggregation engine that accepts, routes, maps, translates, and cleanses a variety of data sets according to custom configurations in order to assure high-quality data outputs. Our current participants send clinical data, eligibility and claims data, and community and social health information for storage and use within the HIE’s systems and applications. Additionally, HealthInfoNet is connected to the eHealth Exchange national HIE network as well as receives information from national clearinghouse repositories like SureScripts RxHub to supplement patients’ health records. 

Most relevant to our healthcare provider participants, our system securely connects to healthcare locations to acquire HL7 v.2.x and CCDA (via xds.b protocol) formatted clinical data sets sourced from EHR systems and reference laboratories on a real-time basis. To read up on all data sources accepted by the HIE, visit our Data Integration Services page to learn more.

HealthInfoNet takes every action to keep patient health records safe. Patients’ information submitted to the HIE via participating healthcare providers is protected both in motion (i.e., when sending between participants and the HIE) and at rest (i.e., when stored within the HIE for use in its services). Information is encrypted and sent over private and secure computer connections to ensure that only those authorized to view a patient’s information have access. Additionally, we allow patients to request an audit of who has viewed their HIE record over time, as well as to choose whether they want their data included in the HIE system. For more information about patient choices, visit our For Patients page to learn more.

Over the years, we have connected to the majority of electronic health record (EHR) systems used by healthcare providers throughout the state. Those EHR vendors with which we have current connections include: Allscripts, American Data, Athena, Centricity, Cerner, CGM, CPSI, Credible, eClinicalWorks (currently receiving CCDA information only), Epic, Greenway, ICANotes, Imagetrend, Matrixcare, MEDITECH, Nextsmart, NextGen, Paragon, Pimsy, Point Click Care (currently in development), Remarkable Health (previously Claimtrak), Siemens, SuccessEHS, The T System, Time Track, and  Welligent.

All organizations interested in participating in Maine’s statewide HIE must (a) meet the definition of a HIPAA covered entity healthcare provider and (b) have healthcare providers licensed to treat patients in the state.

Both Behavioral Health Home (BHH) and Opioid Health Home (OHH) organizations participating in the Office of MaineCare Services’ value-based purchasing programs can also participate in the statewide HIE. In fact, OHH organizations are required to participate per MaineCare’s programmatic requirements. For both BHH and OHH organizations, HealthInfoNet and MaineCare have teamed up to offer reduced implementation and annual subscription fees to access and/or share information with the HIE. For more information about HealthInfoNet’s participation structure with BHH and OHH organizations, send us a message.

There are many benefits of using HealthInfoNet’s HIE services. The HIE’s objective is to create lasting system-wide improvements in the value of patient care. Participants receive increased opportunities for collaboration and coordination among healthcare providers throughout the state, experience reductions in their staff’s time and effort in reviewing their patients’ health records and in preparing subsequent care plans, as well as obtain valuable insights to inform timely clinical treatment plans and decision-making. For more information about how the HIE’s services may be beneficial to your organization, visit our What We Do page and explore our case studies to learn how specific organizations and end users across the state are using the system.

The length of implementation activities for a new participant depends on several factors, including level of participation, technical capabilities, available resources, etc. To review the key steps involved in implementing a new participant, as well as the milestones included within each step, visit our Become A Participant page to learn more.

If your organization is interested in becoming a participant of Maine’s statewide HIE, please complete our Participant Inquiry Form to set in motion next steps for engaging with HealthInfoNet. Once your organization’s form has been submitted, our team will review its inputs to determine your organization’s eligibility before reaching out to your designated point of contact with further actions.

There is a cost associated with HIE participation: (1) a one-time implementation fee to get all necessary technical connections in place and (2) an annual subscription fee based on your organization’s total number of patients. To learn more about what your organization’s fee schedule may be, complete our Participant Inquiry Form.