The substance-exposed birthing person-infant/child dyad and health information exchange in the United States

Timely access to data is needed to improve care for substance-exposed birthing persons and their infants, a significant public health problem in the United States. We examined the current state of birthing person and infant/child (dyad) data-sharing capabilities supported by health information exchange (HIE) standards and HIE network capabilities for data exchange to inform point-of-care needs assessment for the substance-exposed dyad. A cross-map analysis was performed using a set of dyadic data elements focused on pediatric development and longitudinal supportive care for substance-exposed dyads (70 birthing person and 110 infant/child elements). Cross-mapping was conducted to identify definitional alignment to standardized data fields within national healthcare data exchange standards, the United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) version 4 (v4) and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) release 4 (R4), and applicable structured vocabulary standards or terminology associated with USCDI. Subsequent survey analysis examined representative HIE network sharing capabilities, focusing on USCDI and FHIR usage. 91.11% of dyadic data elements cross-mapped to at least 1 USCDI v4 standardized data field (87.80% of those structured) and 88.89% to FHIR R4. 75% of the surveyed HIE networks reported supporting USCDI versions 1 or 2 and the capability to use FHIR, though demand is limited. HIE of clinical and supportive care data for substance-exposed dyads is supported by current national standards, though limitations exist. These findings offer a dyadic-focused framework for electronic health record-centered data exchange to inform bedside care longitudinally across clinical touchpoints and population-level health.