Tools for Health Information Exchange Networks Background: Tools for Health Information Exchange Networks Across the United States, hundreds of organizations are working to establish local, regional, and other kinds of health information exchange networks. Connecting for Health, a public-private collaborative led by the Markle Foundation, is developing a set of tools to assist organizations engaged in this kind of work, since many of them face novel contractual, policy, and technical issues. These tools are a work in progress and represent the best thinking of Connecting for Health participants based on their experience in developing a multi-state electronic health information exchange in northern California, Indiana, and Massachusetts. As Connecting for Health's work continues, it will refine these tools, and will make updates and new documents available at http://www.connectingforhealth.org. To receive notification of future Connecting for Health releases, please register at http://www.connectingforhealth.org/mailinglist.php. Who should use Tools for Health Information Exchange Networks? These Tools are a resource for any community or organization which wants to use information technology to share health information -- either electronic or paper records -- among its members. Such organizations would include Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) and non-regional groups, such as health plans or hospital systems spanning multiple locations or states. The Topic List The Topic List, the first document to be released as part of the Tools for Health Information Exchange Networks, serves as an index of the contractual issues that both regional and non-regional networks should address to increase the likelihood of success of their own electronic health information exchanges. Among the issues included in the Topic List are the implementation of user agreements, general disclaimers, insurance requirements, and enforcement requirements. The Topic List outlines the issues addressed by a complete model agreement for health information exchange which is currently under development by Connecting for Health. While the Topic List does not substitute for legal counsel or contracts, communities may find it useful to refer to the Topic List, as they work with their own counsel to develop outlines for agreements. Click here to download the Topic List (PDF, 453k) Tools for Health Information Exchange are Free All of the Tools developed by Connecting for Health will be available free through this web site. To receive notification of future Connecting for Health releases, please register at http://www.connectingforhealth.org/mailinglist.php. Share Your Experiences with Us These Connecting for Health Tools are a work in progress, and the collaborative is committed to learning from the experiences of communities across the country. If you have suggestions to improve or enrich the Topic List, please e-mail them to document_feedback@markle.org. For questions, contact info@markle.org. Connecting for Health looks forward to learning from you. About Connecting for Health Connecting for Health is a public-private partnership that works to realize the full potential of information technology in the context of health. Connecting for Health's members represent more than 100 leading health care organizations from the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The Markle Foundation leads Connecting for Health and supports it financially in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Click here or go to www.connectingforhealth.org for more information.