The Future of Health Data Utilities (HDUs) is Here

Health Data Utilities (HDUs) are transforming healthcare by putting patients at the center of data-driven care across the U.S.? At Orion Health, we believe they represent a transformative shift in how health data is shared and used, and we’re thrilled by the momentum behind this initiative.

Our decades of expertise in Health Information Exchange (HIE) software led us to focus on HDUs as the natural next step for well-established HIEs and state health systems to unlock new opportunities for real-time data sharing that will break down silos and drive truly interoperable healthcare. In fact, some of the most progressive HIEs are already acting as de-facto HDUs and our partnership helped get them to this place and is helping them transform into the more well-defined HDU model we’ll discuss in this article.

What Makes HDUs So Exciting?

HDUs exist to create seamless, real-time data sharing across systems and stakeholders—clinicians, patients, public health agencies, and even non-healthcare sectors like housing or social services.

By combining clinical and non-clinical data, HDUs are poised to improve public health outcomes, enhance care coordination, and reduce health disparities.

HDUs empower healthcare providers to act on timely, comprehensive data that was previously siloed, giving them the information they need to deliver more personalized, impactful care.

In short, HDUs are an evolution in how we handle health data. Where traditional HIEs focus primarily on exchanging clinical data, HDUs go beyond that to integrate a much broader range of information, providing a comprehensive, actionable view of the whole person.

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HDUs are the future for patient engagement

By securely collecting, standardizing, and sharing health information from diverse sources—including hospitals, primary care providers, social services, and public health agencies—HDUs create a complete picture of a patient's health. This comprehensive view means that, regardless of where a patient seeks care, their providers can access accurate, up-to-date information, reducing redundant tests, avoiding medical errors, and supporting better-informed decisions.

For patients with complex or chronic conditions, HDUs are especially valuable as they help coordinate care across multiple providers, ensuring that each provider is aware of the patient’s full medical history, treatments, and preferences.

By integrating critical data like social determinants of health, HDUs can also identify and address barriers to care, allowing for more personalized and effective treatment. Ultimately, HDUs empower patients and their healthcare providers with the insights needed to deliver care that is not only coordinated and efficient but also tailored to each patient’s unique needs.

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The Path Forward for HIEs and HDUs

HDUs represent the future of healthcare data management and that this is a unique opportunity for HIEs and State Departments of Health.

HDUs can enhance the lives of patients, clinicians, and data teams by making data more accessible, actionable, and meaningful. By facilitating seamless, real-time data exchange across sectors, HDUs are paving the way for better care coordination, improved public health outcomes, and greater healthcare sustainability.

Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) are well-positioned to drive the development of Health Data Utilities (HDUs) due to their existing infrastructure, partnerships, and experience in managing data interoperability. To best contribute to HDU evolution, HIEs can expand their traditional role from simply facilitating data exchange to curating and standardizing a broader array of data types, including social determinants of health, environmental factors, and behavioral health data. This shift will help build a more comprehensive view of individual and population health, a core HDU goal.

Additionally, HIEs can leverage their networks to foster collaboration among healthcare providers, public health organizations, social services, and payers, establishing trust and alignment on shared objectives. Through robust data governance frameworks and transparent data use policies, HIEs can assure stakeholders that patient data is being used responsibly and equitably.

By investing in advanced analytics and data management capabilities, HIEs can also create actionable insights from HDU data, supporting decision-making at all levels—from individual care to public health strategy. In essence, by evolving from data pipelines into intelligent data utilities, HIEs can enable HDUs to deliver the full spectrum of patient-centric, community-oriented benefits.

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Key Resources Guiding HDU Development

We’re not alone in recognizing the potential of HDUs—there's a growing body of research, thought leadership, and policy guidance that highlights the strategic opportunities and challenges in rolling out these new systems.

Here’s a closer look at some key frameworks that are helping to shape the future of HDUs:

ONC Health IT Strategic Plan 2020-2025

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) has laid the foundation for the development of health data exchange in the U.S. through its Health IT Strategic Plan 2020-2025. This roadmap provides essential guidance for aligning digital health infrastructure with national health IT policies and standards.

ONC’s plan emphasizes the importance of building a secure, standardized, and interoperable digital infrastructure that can support HDUs.

Strategies outlined include promoting the adoption of interoperable electronic health records (EHRs), expanding access to health data for patients, and encouraging innovative uses of health information to improve individual and population health outcomes.

HDUs will play a crucial role in turning these strategies into action by ensuring that real-time, actionable data flows freely between healthcare providers, patients, and public health entities.

Civitas Networks for Health: HDU Framework

Civitas Networks for Health has published two key papers on HDUs, each offering unique insights into the conceptual and operational aspects of developing these utilities.

·????? December 2022: "Advancing Implementation of Health Data Utility Models" (Dec 2022) introduces the concept of HDUs and highlights their potential to transform healthcare by integrating both clinical and non-clinical data across sectors. This paper is especially useful for stakeholders who are still exploring the HDU concept and want to understand the broader policy, governance, and funding considerations.

·????? March 2023: "Health Data Utility Framework – A Guide to Implementation" is a practical guide for organizations ready to move from concept to execution. It provides a step-by-step roadmap for building the digital infrastructure, governance models, and partnerships needed to develop HDUs. This framework is designed to help healthcare organizations turn the HDU concept into reality, with a focus on technical capabilities, data integration, and sustainable operations.

Move forward with us

If you’re as excited about the potential of HDUs as we are, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Let’s keep the conversation going and explore how we can work together to shape the future of heath care data – a future of data saving and improving lives!

Originally posted at Orionhealth.com where you can read more on our State Health Data Center of Excellence and see what’s next for HDUs, data sharing, and interoperability.

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