Which federal act requires physicians to use health information exchange (HIE)?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is significant in the context of health information exchange (HIE) as it promotes the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) and supports the effective sharing of health information. One of the primary objectives of the ACA is to improve healthcare quality while reducing costs, which aligns directly with the benefits provided by HIE.

The ACA encourages healthcare providers, including physicians, to adopt EHR systems and engage in HIE to facilitate better coordination of care, enhance patient safety, and improve health outcomes. By facilitating data exchange among healthcare providers, the ACA aims to ensure that patients receive appropriate and timely care, thereby fostering a collaborative healthcare environment.

Other federal acts listed either do not directly address health information exchange or are focused on different aspects of healthcare policy. For example, while the Medicaid Act encompasses provisions for Medicaid providers, it does not specifically mandate the use of HIE. Similarly, the Health Insurance Reform Act concerned itself mainly with the privacy and security aspects of patient information without establishing a requirement for HIE. The Social Security Act, which is foundational for social insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare, also does not impose HIE mandates. Thus, the ACA's emphasis on electronic health records and health information exchange distinguishes