One of the goals of healthcare reform is to use medical records information more efficiently and is dependent upon the success of interoperable EHRs.

Behavioral health systems contain unique data that represent a critical component of a patient’s continuum of care. Combining these systems with physical health EHRs will provide significant opportunities for improved outcomes and lower costs. A variety of federal and other initiatives are bringing a true HIE closer to fruition through the creation of a national health information network (NHIN).

The specific open-source software (NHIN Connect:http://www.connectopensource.org/) provides an excellent platform for standardizing behavioral health clinical data transactions, and specifically sets the stage for sharing with primary healthcare providers.