The North Carolina Medical Society has dedicated significant resources to participating in and influencing the activities of the NC Health Information Exchange (NCHIE) as it is being developed to ensure that the interests of physicians and their patients are represented. NCMS Past President Hadley Callaway, MD serves as vice chair of the NCHIE and has been a strong physician advocate. Physician access to the NCHIE; the cost to physicians to participate on the NCHIE; access to data by third parties; and patient consent issues, have been at the forefront of our advocacy efforts.  

The NCMS also is continuing its efforts with the North Carolina Hospital Association on the development of a health information exchange option for hospitals and physicians.  As health information exchange is an evolving area, the effort is progressing cautiously to ensure that the best structure and policies are put into place to maximize utility and contain costs. For more information, please contact Melanie Phelps at [email protected].