Health Data Utilities represent a new paradigm to support community-centric health data exchange. They serve as a resource to multiple stakeholders within a defined region with expanded purposes beyond clinical data exchange such as public health, social determinants of health, quality improvement, and value-based care.
Explore resources for Health Data Utilities.
Health Data Utilities (HDUs) are regional or statewide entities that combine, enhance, and exchange electronic health data across care and service settings for treatment, care coordination, quality improvement, health equity, and public and community health purposes. They serve as health equity infrastructure and enable specific, defined use cases with extra protections to ensure patient privacy and protection. HDUs should build on existing technical, organizational, and trust infrastructure in states and regions.
Health Data Utilities, despite their diverse implementations, share several key characteristics:
Neutrality and flexibility in meeting stakeholders’ goals
Designated
authority
Sustainable
financing
Connected region or state geography
Multi-stakeholder, cross-sector participation
Modular infrastructure and advanced technical services
Public-private
partnerships
Inclusive governance
strategy
Leverage state and
local authority
Civitas is excited to share our Health Data Utility resources. It is our mission to advance this field. Please reach out if you need support or would like to request a presentation from the Civitas team on this subject.
As the need for comprehensive health data and interoperability grows, the realms of HIE and health improvement are rapidly changing. This issue brief discusses Civitas Networks for Health and the Maryland Health Care Commission's work to define the key characteristics of emerging HDU models.
In follow up to Civitas Networks for Health and Maryland Health Care Commission’s Health Data Utility Issue Brief, the goal is for the Framework to assist collaborators and entities within states in assessing their current readiness level, identifying next steps, and actioning or furthering implementation of Health Data Utilities.
This four-part research project was conducted by Civitas Networks For Health CEO Lisa Bari, alongside two industry thought leaders, in an effort to understand how states engage with their regional HIEs.
We’ve made a lot of progress over the past few decades to prompt the emergence of Health Data Utilities across the country.
Click on a state to view details
Many Civitas members are utilizing existing health IT, health data, and quality improvement infrastructure to advance Health Data Utilities to further interoperability and improve health and health care delivery. Check out our community stories below.
Serving Communities Health Information Organization
Learn about how Santa Cruz County is leveraging health information exchange to improve care delivery for behavioral health clients.
CyncHealth
Discover how CyncHealth is working with dozens of health care and community-based organizations to build a social determinants of health ecosystem.
Manifest MedEx
Read about how LA county is using longitudinal patient records from Manifest MedEx to care for older adults and individuals experiencing homelessness.
North Carolina Department of Health Information Technology
Discover how North Carolina's HIE – NC HealthConnex – is supporting Black mothers with secure health data exchange.
Chesapeake Regional Information System for Our Patients (CRISP)
Learn how CRISP worked with Civitas Networks for Health to develop an HDU framework.
