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Interoperability is the main theme in this episode.  Madison area hospitals launched a pilot program enabling providers to access vital patient electronic medical recors with patient consent.  This pilot program is aimed at devloping a system to share pertinent electronic health data.

CTG an IT solutions company has been selected by Texas Health Services Authority to assist them in developing strategic and operational plans to implement EHRs.

Lastly, the Mayo Clinic receive $12.3 million in federal grants to enahnce the exchange of electronic health information in Minnesota.

Category: NewsFlash
Date: July 16, 2010
Views:1,803 views
Information:

Hello, I’m Dawn DiPaola, and today I will be discussing news and initiatives surrounding the interoperability of health information. As meaningful use criteria, interoperability is a critical issue facing many hospitals and physicians offices that are adopting EHRs. Dawn, can you tell us more?

There are many programs aimed at developing a system to share pertinent electronic health data. For example, Madison area hospitals have launched a 120-day pilot project that will provide participating hospital emergency services and urgent care facilities access to vital patient electronic medical records with patient consent.

Dean Health System, Group Health Cooperative, Meriter Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital, UW Health and the UW Medical Foundation physicians' group are all involved. The pilot testing of Epic's Electronic Health Information Exchange module called Care Everywhere began on March 29. The pilot period allows electronic health record exchange within Dane County only and each organization will either elect to join the national Care Everywhere network or to discontinue use of the product at the end of the pilot phase. Care Everywhere is in use in a few other communities across the country, including Minneapolis, and in limited locations in Colorado and California.

In addition, CTG, an international IT solutions and services company, has been selected by the Texas Health Services Authority to assist them in developing strategic and operational plans to implement an electronic health information network in Texas. The network will support improved quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare delivery.

This collaboration will help the Texas Health Services Authority with planning for the statewide health information exchange. "The THSA looks forward to working with CTG and health care stakeholders in Texas to develop strategic and operational plans for HIEs in the State of Texas," said Manfred Sternberg, President of the Board of Directors of the THSA. "Our goal is to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of the Texas health care sector while protecting individual privacy."

And lastly, the Mayo Clinic is utilizing $12.3 million in federal grants to enhance the exchange of electronic health information in Minnesota. The project will involve implementing a system to share information between electronic medical record systems utilized at Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, the Winona Health System, and county public health departments. The Mayo clinic will lead a study focusing on the management and sharing data and examining outcomes of children with asthma and diabetes, specifically.

These are some exciting programs. The results of these pilot projects and studies will hopefully pave the way for the nation to develop an environment where electronic health information can be safely and securely shared between physicians and hospitals.

I’m Dawn DiPaola and this is EHRtv NewsFlash. Thanks for watching.