Health information sharing solutions have been variously described as health information exchanges (HIE), health information networks (HIN) , Regional Health Information Organizations in the industry. Such networks can be created between as low as two entities that share a common interest all the way to hundreds of entities. In certain cases, an integrated delivery network (IDN) may choose to create such a network within its administrative boundaries as well.

This handbook is an in-depth primer to this fascinating emerging area of health informatics.