What You Should Know:
– Providence has become the first health system in the United States to develop a data-as-a-service (DaaS) product driven by HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR).
– This product facilitates the exchange of clinical data between providers and payers, aiming to standardize clinical data across the system.
Barriers to Data Exchange
Traditionally, one of the most significant barriers to seamless clinical data exchange has been the lack of standardization and automation. FHIR integration improves interoperability within value-based care, allowing health organizations to exchange comprehensive clinical data. This facilitates more accurate risk assessments, enhances care coordination, and captures outcomes more effectively. Standardized data exchange empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions, ultimately improving patient outcomes and the overall quality of care.
The DaaS product leverages the HL7 FHIR standard, which defines how healthcare information can be exchanged between different computer systems. FHIR provides a standardized and secure format for clinical and administrative data, reducing inefficiencies and enhancing the quality of care.
Providence’s DaaS Product
Providence’s DaaS product uses national data exchange standards, including the Member Attribution (ATR), Clinical Data Exchange (CDex), and Bulk Implementation Guides, developed through the HL7 Da Vinci Project. This project aims to enhance data sharing between payers and providers for a smoother transition to value-based care.
In September 2023, Providence piloted the DaaS product with Premera Blue Cross, one of the largest health plans in the Pacific Northwest. The product underwent thorough vetting and approval by internal quality teams and external Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) auditors.
Providence designed the DaaS solution to be scalable and adoptable by other providers. The goal is to ensure that payer partners have access to cutting-edge technology supporting growth and success in value-based care and beyond. The initiative is positioned to pave the way for industry-wide innovation in data exchange standards.
“Interoperability is critical within value-based care, and FHIR integration allows health care organizations to exchange comprehensive clinical data that enables more accurate risk assessments, enhances care coordination and captures outcomes more effectively,” said Michael Westover, vice president of population health informatics at Providence. “By using a national standard for contract gap closure and capturing the much-needed clinical data, we empower all stakeholders in their ecosystem to make more informed decisions, improve patient outcomes and enhance the overall quality of care to our patients – who are always at the center of all our efforts.”
