New payment models, such as ACOs, utilize team-based care requiring providers to work together, coordinate care, and improve patient health across care facilities and specialties. At the core of these new models is the secure exchange of health information across disparate digital platforms, because each member of the care team must be able to quickly access complete, current, real-time patient information.

This health IT interoperability is a key driver for success in these new models, which pose greater risk for participants but also greater rewards. Without interoperability and care coordination, there might be little payoff to participating in an ACO. If ACO members aren't able to share information with one another to reduce duplicative procedures and other excess costs, then they likely won't see the financial rewards of these demanding new programs.

The industry needs to evolve from simply exchanging information to establishing routine quick and easy processes to securely share relevant patient information to support better workflows. To further their care coordination process work Montrose Memorial Hospital (MMH) recently organized a community-wide seminar titled Let's Get Connected. "There were several motivators for us to get connected, one is meeting meaningful use, and we are launching an ACO," said Pam Foyster, MU coordinator for Montrose Memorial Hospital. "I understood we had a learning curve to exchanging continuity of care documents (CCDs) and using Direct appropriately that added to our need to connect with our community of providers. Many in our community are very motivated and trying to learn more about health information exchange as a verb, not just a noun, and how we do this together. I think as a hospital we have the responsibly to initiate the patient hand-off."