Oregon has launched a statewide health information exchange called CareAccord, CMIO reports (Walsh, CMIO, 5/21).
Officials say the exchange will improve communication between health care providers, reduce duplicate orders and help health care providers meet meaningful use requirements (McCann, Healthcare IT News, 5/21).
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
Details of Health Data Exchange
Harris Healthcare Solutions received a contract to implement Oregon's health information exchange, and the Oregon Health Authority will administer the exchange.
Health care providers participating in CareAccord will be able to use Harris' Direct Secure Messaging system to exchange information -- including patient data -- through any Internet-enabled device (CMIO, 5/21).
According to Government Health IT, CareAccord will provide the service at no cost through September 2013.
Future Features
The next phase of the health data exchange could add:
- Information exchange between EHR systems;
- The ability to query or lookup patient records through Master Patient Index Record Locator services; and
- Connectivity to federal systems, such as those run by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration.
CareAccord officials also plan to increase data sharing among public health, health insurance exchange, Medicaid and other state systems (Mosquera, Government Health IT, 5/21).