Why is health information exchange important to Alaska?
Electronic Health Information Exchange offers the following benefits to all Alaskans:
• Improved patient safety – reduced medical errors
• Provide caregivers information they need to make more informed care decisions
• Provide immediate access to timely, comprehensive information about their patients
• Better administrative efficiency – reduced paperwork and handling, eg. Referrals
• Provide patients with access to their personal health information
• Reduce… duplicative tests, unnecessary hospital admissions, and treatment caused error
• Improve public health reporting and monitoring
• Reduce health-related costs
When critical information is available in real time at the point of care, the risk of a medical error is greatly decreased. And, when past test results are included in the EHR, duplicate and expensive tests may not be needed.
No need to repeat your medical and personal history, contact data, or insurance and billing information! You give it once, and it’s in your EHR. Decreased paperwork and immediate access to records, labs and other test results increases efficiencies and lowers costs for all involved, including you, the patient. 
With an Electronic Health Record (EHR) providers have secure, immediate access to your essential medical information to support quick, accurate diagnoses and treatment. 
Paper records are still in use in many facilities; they are unwieldy and easily damaged and require outdated and error-prone faxed or telephoned exchange of information. Contrast them with electronic health records that have legally-mandated safeguards built in to ensure your privacy and the secure exchange of your medical information.
