Health Data Exchange Market Is Changing

The health-information exchange market is evolving away from simple data exchange and toward a model that uses data to facilitate accountable and collaborative care, according to a market study released Monday by IDC Health Insights.
 
The study, “IDC MarketScape: U.S. Health Information Exchange Platform Solutions 2012 Vendor Assessment,” evaluates 16 vendors of health-information exchange platform solutions, including development tools, professional and educational services, and support partnerships with other companies.
 
Previously, the market focused on data exchange connections enabling health care providers to qualify for federal meaningful-use incentives, according to a company news release describing the findings. With the focus shifting toward the use of data in accountable-care organizations, the vendor community is merging and acquiring new companies. New players are entering the market, as well, including telecommunications companies.
 
"The IT requirements for health information organizations and evolving care delivery and reimbursement models are too extensive for any one vendor to satisfy," says Lynne Dunbrack, Connected Health IT Strategies program director at the Framingham, Mass.-based IDC Health Insights. "To address the business and technical requirements of accountable care, in addition to providing core HIE technologies, vendors are responding by developing, partnering, or acquiring analytics, collaborative-care and patient-engagement technologies."
 
The report predicts a larger role for platform-as-a-service in the HIE market. Platforms will evolve to meet customer needs, “often through self-development,” the company concludes.