OHin

OHin is an acronym used in information technology and informatics to denote a network or system designed to share information across organizational boundaries in an open and interoperable way. The term does not have a single universally accepted definition; it is used in different sectors to describe both generic open information networks and domain-specific infrastructures.

In the health sector, OHIN most often refers to the Oregon Health Information Network, a statewide health information exchange in the United States. OHIN connects hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and public health agencies to enable secure exchange of patient data, improve care coordination, and support public health reporting. Implementations typically rely on privacy and security controls to comply with HIPAA and data-use agreements, and adopt interoperability standards such as HL7, FHIR, and CCDs to facilitate data sharing.

Beyond health, OHin has appeared in academic and policy contexts as a placeholder name for open information networks, including Open Health Information Network or Open Humanities Information Network. In fiction and theoretical discourse, OHin can denote organizations or protocols centered on openness, data sharing, and cross-organizational governance.

Overall, OHin serves as a flexible label for systems dedicated to interoperable information exchange across boundaries, with real-world emphasis in health information exchanges and broader applications in information governance and open-data discourse.

Related topics include health information exchange, interoperable standards, HIPAA, HL7 and FHIR.