HIMSS, IHE USA and the EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup announce plan to streamline and strengthen how electronic health records and health information exchanges share patient data.
Health information technology customers expect products to work efficiently and consistently – whether it’s a Wi-Fi connection for a computer or the ability to securely share health data across computer systems, states or regions.
Building on its current effort to connect electronic health records (EHRs) to health information exchanges (HIEs), the EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup (IWG) has formed a strategic relationship with HIMSS and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) USA to streamline the process for achieving connectivity between EHR and HIE systems. This alliance will strengthen IWG’s current program to test and certify EHRs and HIE vendors to enable reliable transfer of data within and across organizational and state boundaries. ICSA Labshas been selected as the testing and certification body for this effort.
The value of this collaboration affects more than half the U.S. population and their health care providers who will now have the ability to securely access health data that is shared across multiple states and systems. Working together, these organizations want to make sure that healthcare providers implementing health IT solutions buy products that are interoperable with other software products.
“This joint effort will help pave the way for health information to be exchanged seamlessly between systems, allowing clinicians and health systems to more easily and securely share patient data,” said Dave Whitlinger, Executive Director of the New York-eHealth Collaborative, the coordinator of the Statewide Health Information Network of New York. “By making it easier for electronic health record systems to communicate, this new collaboration will help fulfill the promise of health information exchange, improving patient care and lowering healthcare costs.”
The EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup is a New York-led consortium of 19 forward-thinking states and 47 leading EHR and HIE vendors that was formed in 2011 to increase the adoption of EHRs and HIE services by eliminating the significant “interface” cost and time barrier.
The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) created, led, and financed the IWG whose members work together to develop integrated EHR capabilities so that data sharing across and between states and health IT systems will be more compatible.
This effort builds on and accelerates consensus on national standards, adopting EHR certification criteria and testing procedures as relevant for Stage 2 Meaningful Use. The collaboration will continue to provide feedback to the national health IT standard-setting initiatives established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
“Both IWG and IHE USA have worked independently with notable accomplishments. However, the consolidation of our efforts, along with the commitment of these organizations, offers the most promise to create a real, lasting impact and make interoperability a reality in healthcare,” said Joyce Sensmeier, MS, RN-BC, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, FAAN, president of IHE USA.
Sensmeier explained the contributions of the four organizations, noting the expected synergies of the collaboration.
•IWG offers the specifications, a robust, automated testing tool, and significant workgroup membership of states and vendors;
•IHE USA brings specifications that form the foundation of interoperability, industry expertise and support, and experience in system-to-system and product testing;
•HIMSS is known for its consistent convening strength, public policy channels, stakeholder representation and sector support; and,
•ICSA Labs, the testing and certification body chosen for this program, provides expert health IT analysts, and a proven testing and certification framework.
“HIMSS, IWG and IHE USA recognize the definitive power of collaboration to reach our shared vision for robust, secure and interoperable health information exchange. This new program builds on current activities to certify EHR and HIE products that are able to reliably transfer data within and across organizational and state boundaries,” said Carla Smith, MA, CNM, FHIMSS, Executive Vice President, HIMSS North America.
