The Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) is a set of standards, services and policies that enable secure health information exchange over the Internet. The NHIN will provide a foundation for the exchange of health IT across diverse entities, within communities and across the country, helping to achieve the goals of the HITECH Act. This critical part of the national health IT agenda will enable health information to follow the consumer, be available for clinical decision making, and support appropriate use of healthcare information beyond direct patient care so as to improve population health.

The NHIN Work Group, part of the Health IT Policy Committee, is currently developing recommendations for extending the secure exchange of health information using NHIN standards, services and policies to the broadest audience possible. Activities of the NHIN Work Group and Health IT Policy Committee can be found at http://healthit.hhs.gov/policycommittee.

A group of federal agencies, local, regional and state-level Health Information Exchange Organizations (HIOs) and integrated delivery networks, formerly known as the NHIN Cooperative, has been helping to develop the NHIN standards, services and policies. Today, these organizations are demonstrating live health information exchange through the NHIN Exchange. By the end of 2010, it is expected that approximately a dozen entities will be securely sharing live health information as part of this Exchange. For more information about the NHIN Exchange, please visit NHIN Exchange.

Based on initial recommendations from the NHIN Work Group, a new initiative, the NHIN Direct Project, is being launched to explore the NHIN standards and services required to enable secure health information exchange at a more local and less complex level, such as a primary care provider sending a referral or care summary to a local specialist electronically. For more information about the NHIN Direct Project, please visit http://nhindirect.org .

Moving forward, the NHIN will continue evolving to meet emerging needs for exchanging electronic health information securely over the Internet. This evolution will be driven by emerging technology, users, uses, and policies.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) believes that with broad implementation, the secure exchange of health information using NHIN standards, services and policies will help improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare for all Americans.

For more information about the NHIN, please revisit this site regularly for program updates.