SPOTLIGHT: RHIOs as ASPs?


Many health providers believe that, in theory, they could get a great deal of benefit out of participating in a regional health information organization (RHIO). Unfortunately, however, few small primary care practices are like to invest the time and money needed to link up with a RHIO. Writer Matthew Holt suggests that RHIOs might stand a better chance of attracting providers if they host and manage the data networking application themselves. About 20 percent of RHIOs are already considering becoming ASPs, according to one expert cited by Holt. The question is, will this approach work for most RHIOs, or is there a better way to attract providers to RHIO network? Column