This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One of Utah's largest insurers has stepped up with a show of support for the state's health data superhighway.
The Regence Foundation, the charitable arm of Regence BlueCross BlueShield, is investing $90,000 in a campaign to promote the Clinical Health Information Exchange, or cHIE (pronounced chee), a secure system that will allow a family doctor in St. George push patient information to an ER physician in Salt Lake City.
Utah's major hospitals endorse the cHIE, which promises to save lives, time and money by reducing misdiagnoses and medical errors caused by doctors having incomplete access to patient information.
But they aren't rushing to populate it with people. Until patients consent, doctors can't access their information.
The Utah Health Information Network, which oversees the cHIE, has collected 30,000 consent forms with a goal of amassing 700,000 by the end of 2012.
A bill that would plug public employees and Medicaid patients into the cHIE, unless they opt out, is speeding through the Legislature.
Meanwhile, the Health Information Network is urging privately insured Utahns to join via TV, radio and print ads. The foundation's grant will help fund that campaign.
"For the Health Information Exchange to be successful there needs to be a large number of patients participating," said Peggy Maguire, chairwoman of the Regence Foundation.