In order for patients to receive better and safer care, all players in the healthcare system, like hospitals, doctors and pharmacies, must be able to quickly find, evaluate and understand a patient’s medical information. The process of securely sharing this information prevents a patient from receiving medications that interfere with those previously prescribed. The gap in communication between a patient’s physician and a doctor in the emergency room can have serious health-altering consequences.
To close this gap, electronic health information exchange, soon enabled by the Pennsylvania Patient and Provider Network (P3N), is here to help. For this to work correctly, local healthcare providers need to connect to a regional health information organization (HIO). The HIO connects to the P3N hub and patient’s information flows to other HIOs and participating healthcare providers.
P3N, a service from the Pennsylvania eHealth Partnership Authority, is currently under development, but pilot programs will launch later this year in the Lehigh Valley and southwestern Pennsylvania.
Electronic health information exchange is important for patients and providers alike. The information exchange benefits everyone by cutting down on redundant testing and medications. It will help to reduce unnecessary costs; in Washington state, a similar data-sharing initiative saved $33 million in Medicaid ER costs in the first year of the program alone.
For this program to be successful, maximum participation from doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and others in the healthcare system is a must. The more patient information provided, the better.
For additional information, please see: www.pennlive.com/opinion/2014/07/in_emergencies_minutes_matter.html.
