Abstract
A group of mental health providers and social workers in North Carolina are requesting a delay on state requirements that promote behavioral health EHR use, according to North Carolina Health News, EHR Intelligence reported. Specifically, the care providers oppose state legislation that would require providers in behavioral healthcare settings to link with North Carolina's health information exchange (HIE) by June 1, 2019. According to testimony from bill sponsor Josh Dobson (R‐N.C.), many behavioral health providers are concerned that the high cost of connecting to the state's HIE may pose a challenge. North Carolina's HIE network — NC HealthConnex — was implemented to break down information silos between providers, improve patient health outcomes, and streamline state‐funded programs such as Medicaid. The bill proposed by Dobson and others would push the deadline for providers to participate in NC HealthConnex to June 2021. Proponents of the bill agree requiring behavioral health providers to connect to the state HIE would be beneficial in the long‐term for payers, patients, and providers. Incentivizing EHR adoption among behavioral healthcare providers may help to close the digital divide between primary and specialty care.
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