This toolkit contains resources, tools, and examples to develop effective use cases for adopting electronic Health Information Exchange (HIE) to improve care coordination.
Introduction
We advise you to develop use cases when connecting to an HIE. A use case is a narrative describing how the HIE will be used to accomplish a business goal. Use cases designed with a goal in mind are a valuable planning tool.
A well-crafted use case communicates the functional requirements to inform the technical planning. Having this worked out first will help scope and develop the solution and accelerate the technical evaluation process.
Developing use cases requires understanding your business needs, i.e. the issues and opportunities to address. Defining the needs early in the process will accelerate the design effort and provide a basis to evaluate success.
Review the Use Case Resources, Use Case Tools and Library tabs to learn about the process of developing HIE Use Cases.
Use Case Examples
Use Cases consist of a diagram and description of the healthcare partners and information exchange to be solved electronically. Two examples are shown below. Use the Use Case Resources, Use Case Tools and Library tabs to design your cases.
Example 1: Use Case Trading Partners Diagram and Description
Example 2: Use Case Information Exchange Flow Diagram and Description
Use Case Resources
The Use Case resources listed below describe how to develop new use cases. Use the Use Case Tools to visualize and describe the actual use cases of the planned Health Information Exchange.
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Use Case Development Guide | This guide describes the benefits of developing a detailed Use Case, and the elements that should be included in every Use Case. |
| Use Case Development Strategy | This presentation explains the Use Case development strategy, concepts, and principles, and also provides Use Case examples. |
| Use Case Planning Form | This form provides a template for documenting your organization’s Use Cases. Use this form to plan and develop your Use Case. |
| Use Case Information Types | This document provides a list of the types of healthcare information that can be exchanged via HIE. Utilize the list to outline the information to exchange in a Use Case. |
Use Case Tools
Use Cases consist of a diagram and description of the information exchange to be solved electronically. Use the templates and icons shown below to build your diagrams and descriptions. Click on any image to download the item.
Download Templates and Icons Grouped in Zip Files
Click on any image to download the templates and icons grouped in zip files; or download single items down below.
ALL USE CASE TEMPLATES
ALL PROVIDER AND PATIENT ICONS
ALL ORGANIZATION ICONS
Download Trading Partner Templates
Click on any image to download a single template file, consisting of PowerPoint diagram and description slides.
TWO TRADING PARTNERS
THREE TRADING PARTNERS
FOUR TRADING PARTNERS
Download Exchange Flow Templates
Click on any image to download a single template file, consisting of PowerPoint diagram and description slides.
ONE EXCHANGE FLOW
TWO EXCHANGE FLOWS
THREE EXCHANGE FLOWS
Download Provider Icons
Click on any image to download a single icon file. Insert the relevant icon file into the PowerPoint templates.
PRIMARY CARE
SPECIALTY CARE
DOCTOR
NURSE
THERAPIST
DENTIST
PRACTICE MANAGER
NURSE PRACTITIONER
AMBULATORY CARE
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
LONG-TERM & POST-ACUTE CARE
AMBULANCE
Download Organization Icons
Click on any image to download a single icon file. Insert the relevant icon file into the PowerPoint templates.
HOSPITAL
INTEGRATED CARE FACILITY
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY
LTPAC FACILITY
LABORATORY
EMERGENCY ROOM
REHABILITATION FACILITY
HEALTH CLINIC
DOCTOR'S OFFICE
SCHOOL
SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT CENTER
PUBLIC HEALTH REGISTRY
HOME HEALTH
PHARMACY
HEALTH PLAN
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Right to Use
These icons were developed by MeHI, the Massachusetts eHealth Institute. These templates can be used without license to build your use cases, provided you acknowledge MeHI by including the following statement in your use case slides: "Icons provided by MeHI at https://mehi.masstech.org"
Request to Share your Use Cases
To aid MeHI and the Mass HIway in expanding the Use Case Library to assist providers, send your use cases to:
Request new Icons
To request alternative icons to be added to our Use Case Tools, email your request to:
Library
This library contains Use Cases that improve care coordination and implement other HIE goals. Each Use Case provides generalized guidance and you can use the Use Case Tools to tailor a case to your organization's needs. Many Use Cases are illustrated with a real-life example from an organization that implemented the case, and/or linked to a related HIE Spotlight Story on the Mass HIway website.
The Use Cases are grouped into multiple tables by HIE Use Case category, including: Closed Loop Referrals, Summaries of Care, Discharge Summaries, Care Coordination, Lab Exchange, Query HIE, and Public Health Reporting.
Transitions of Care: Closed Loop Referrals
| Closed Loop Referrals | Objectives and Resources | |
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| Closed Loop Referrals from Federally Qualified Health Center to Hospital | ||
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| Closed Loop Referrals from Community Health Center to Orthopedic Care Specialists | ||
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| Closed Loop Referrals from Community Health Center to Hospital | ||
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| Closed Loop Referrals between Partnering Organizations | ||
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| Closed Loop Referrals from PCP to Specialist | ||
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| Closed Loop Referrals from Hospital to Behavioral Health Specialist | ||
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Transitions of Care: Summaries of Care
| Summaries of Care | Objectives and Resources | |
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| Summaries of Care from Community Health Center to Partner Hospitals | ||
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| Summaries of Care from Hospital to Specialized Medical Center | ||
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| Summaries of Care from Children's Hospital to Community Health Center | ||
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| Summaries of Care from Hospital to Home Health Care Agency | ||
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| Summaries of Care from PCP to Behavioral Health Specialist | ||
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| Summaries of Care from Behavioral Health Specialist to PCP | ||
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Transitions of Care: Discharge Summaries
| Discharge Summaries | Objectives and Resources | |
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| Discharge Summaries from Hospital to Healthcare Practice | ||
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| Discharge Summaries from Hospital to Post-Acute Care | ||
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| Discharge Summaries from Rehab Center to Home Health Agency | ||
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| Discharge Summaries from Hospital to Post-Acute Care or Home Care | ||
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Care Coordination
| Care Coordination | Objectives and Resources | |
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| Care Plan Document Exchange between a MassHealth ACO and its Community Partners | ||
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| Care Coordination for Substance Use Disorder | ||
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| Care Coordination for Co-Occurring Acute Medical and Behavioral Health Conditions | ||
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| Care Coordination for Surgery between Orthopedic Specialty Provider, Hospital, and Home Care | ||
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| Care Coordination between PCP and Behavioral Health Provider | ||
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Lab Exchange
| Lab Exchange | Objectives and Resources | |
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| Exchange of Lab Order and Lab Results between Hospital Lab and Home Health Agency | ||
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Query HIE
| Query HIE | Objectives and Resources | |
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| Customized Query HIE between Medical Group and Partnering Hospitals | ||
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Public Health Reporting
| Public Health Reporting | Objectives and Resources | |
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| Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Assessments from Community-based Organization to MassHealth | ||
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| Send and Retrieve Immunization Data to and from MIIS (Massachusetts Immunization Information System) | ||
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| Send Immunization Data to MIIS with Acknowledgement of Receipt | ||
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