Appendix D: Evaluation of State Strategies
Long-Term Outcome Measures
These measures evaluate the long-term impact of policy and programmatic changes related to health information sharing, including more efficient, higher quality care and lower costs. Because measures evaluating long-term outcomes are dependent on many factors, health information exchange accounts for only a portion of the change. The measures are listed in order of quality and cost impact, beginning with the most impactful.
Quality and Appropriateness of Care Measures
- Reduction in preventable ED visits
- Reduction in ambulatory-sensitive admissions
- Reduction in 30- and 60-day readmission rates after discharge
- Reduction in preventable adverse drug events
- Improvement in medication adherence
Cost Measures
- Reduction in total cost of care
- Reduction in cost of inpatient, ambulatory and emergency visits or admissions
- Reduction in duplicate or unnecessary tests and procedures (such as CT scan, MRI, radiograph, immunization)
- Reduction in pharmaceutical spend resulting from more cost-effective prescribing patterns