On-Demand HIE Now A Reality

By Karla Paris

Statewide health information network set to securely exchange patient information for improved care coordination and patient outcomes.

U.S. News & World Report describes how, during a breakout session at the U.S. News Hospital of Tomorrow conference in Washington, one veteran of health information exchange policy and practice, Micky Tripathi, illustrated how difficult interoperability can be when dealing with an industry as complex as healthcare. Tripathi is the founding president and CEO of the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, a nonprofit that supports health information “communities.”

While the picture of interoperability seems bleak, one statewide health information network seems to think they have the right solution in place.

In a press release, it was reported that Missouri Health Connection (MHC) has enabled on-demand, bi-directional data exchange through two companies that have demonstrated cross-vendor interoperability. MHC is working with NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. and a leading provider of healthcare information systems and connectivity solutions, and InterSystems, a global leader in software for connected healthcare.

Participating healthcare organizations can deploy the necessary software for aggregating patient data by using a uniform user interface that enables providers to store and retrieve data from multiple databases with a single query in real time. Healthcare organizations connected to MHC, Missouri’s statewide health information exchange (HIE), include: Jordan Valley Community Health Center in Springfield, MO; Family Health Center in Columbia, MO; Esse Health and Grace Hill Health Centers in St. Louis, MO

MHC is using InterSystems HealthShare informatics platform to deliver shared medical information across various data sources, applications, and users. The platform enables analytics based on real-time operational data, which means better point-of-care delivery.

MHC is a nonprofit organization that operates Missouri's statewide health information network. Established in 2009, MHC's enables Missouri healthcare providers-from small, rural clinics to large hospital systems-to securely share a patient's medical data.

MHC provides the technological infrastructure for health care providers to coordinate care for their patients through a secure health information network. The services provided by MHC are designed to support all health care provider organizations, from the largest multi-hospital health system to a solo physician practice. Coordinating care, reducing preventable errors, and avoiding treatment duplication are among MHC’s primary goals.

SOURCE: Business Wire