HSX works with its members to improve data interoperability. Clinicians can use HSX to get data about their patients, even if the patient got care at a different organization.
Why HIEs Are Important
There are many health systems in Philadelphia alone. Now think about how many systems there are within Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Then add in all the other health organizations that are not part of a system, and there are a lot of places a patient could get care from. For clinicians, it is nearly impossible to figure out which organizations a patient has received care from, let alone gathering all that data together and viewing it in one place. And sometimes – if a patient has already shown up for an appointment, or if they arrive at a skilled nursing facility (SNF) ready to start their skilled rehab, the clinician needs to see them and doesn’t have time to go search for all these records beforehand.
Even with health information systems becoming more common, interoperability is still an issue that interrupts collaboration. One study found that information sent from the hospital to the SNF was delayed “sometimes” or “often” for over 50% of SNF-hospital pairs. Additionally, over 60% of post-acute care facilities rely on phone calls to transfer patient information or clinical details.
With HSX, patient data is readily available, all in one location. While clinicians still may contact organizations for full patient notes, HSX shows where the patient has gotten care so it is easy to determine who to contact for full notes. HSX also provides other information such as vitals and labs. This way, post-acute care clinicians have information to use while they start caring for the patient.
HSX and CareAlign
Imagine you are taking care of a patient who has been to 4 different hospitals in the last 6 months, has been to multiple different outpatient practices at different health systems, and is here for their next visit with you. What if you could look up this patient’s clinical information (think vital signs, recent laboratory test, a list of their encounters and diagnoses) and see it trended across all of these organizations in one seamless view. Their blood pressure from 10 different facilities would be trended together in one graph.
This is the true power of healthcare interoperability, and what HSX and CareAlign can bring to practitioners.
While HIEs have the data, they don’t always have the application to make that data easy to access and importantly, easy to view. It is essential that clinicians have the right data, at the right time, in the right format, and with the right context. That’s where CareAlign comes in. CareAlign has partnered with HSX to help bring this data together, present it in a way that clinicians need to see it, and help drive better care.
Want to learn more about bringing data into your PA, NJ, or DE post-acute care or SNF facility? Contact us here.