Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs)

What exactly is a Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs)? Get ready to read some acronyms!

According to Wiki, RHIOs are key to the US National Health Information Network (NHIN). A RHIO is a specialization of the Health Information Exchange (HIE). Health information exchange (HIE) is defined as the mobilization of healthcare information electronically across organizations within a region or community.

According to HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society), the terms “RHIO” and “Health Information Exchange” or “HIE” are often used interchangeably. RHIOs are the building blocks of the proposed National Health Information Network (NHIN) initiative proposed by David Brailer, MD, and his team at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT).

Currently, there are several state RHIOs, some local RHIOs, and a handful of rural RHIOs. The AHRQ reports that several hundred RHIOs or RHIO-type organizations have been formed. Will we reach our goal by 2014?

Want to learn more?

Brush up on your acronym-developing skills and check out some of these additional resources:

Computer-based Patient Record Institute (CPRI)
National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT)


So, what is a RHIO?