Creation of a health information exchange in the state could be gaining traction as a coalition of health-care providers plans to implement its infrastructure as early as next year.
The group, which is calling itself “Transforming Healthcare in Connecticut Communities,” or THICC, includes a network of Connecticut’s leading hospitals, physician practices, employer groups and insurers that are working jointly to create a statewide health information exchange.
The exchange will link information from existing electronic health record systems and those currently being implemented by various providers.
Coalition members include Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and Farmington-based ProHealth Physicians, one of the state’s largest physician organizations.
“This partnership represents a unique level of collaboration,” Jack Reed, president and CEO of ProHealth Physicians, said at a recent meeting of coalition members. “Once the HIE becomes a reality we are going to have a whole new world. It’s going to improve the quality of care dramatically.”
THICC has four major goals including getting physicians and hospitals in Connecticut to adopt electronic medical records and then creating an interface that allows them to share that information. It also seeks to provide training for the information exchange and then use that information to improve patient care.
The HIE will be a Web-based database available on the Internet, and managed by a separate, independent organization, which has not yet been clearly articulated.
The goal is to create a shared governance for the system between the state and its health care community.
“No one group can own the process,” said Stephan O’Neill, vice president and chief information officer at Hartford Hospital. “For this project to be a success, everyone must be on board to support it.”
Coalition members are hopeful that some hospitals will begin sharing records as early as next March as part of a pilot program, but it will likely take years before all physicians are able to get on board.
There is a need for the HIE because the healthcare delivery system in Connecticut and across the country is “decentralized and fragmented,” O’Neill said.
“Health-care companies do not share information effectively,” O’Neill said. “Every other industry in the world has transformed itself using technology. We are all skeptical because we know how unsystematic our industry is.”
According to data from the Institute of Medicine, patients receive, on average, only about 55 percent of services that actually benefit them.
Meanwhile, by some estimates the U.S. wastes $700 billion each year on unnecessary or duplicative tests and procedures that don’t improve patient health.
Reed, of ProHealth Physicians, said the adoption of a HIE will lead to more timely, efficient, and effective care, resulting in healthier patients and quicker turnarounds.
It also provides a comprehensive way to monitor health trends across the state with data that can be aggregated and then presented to public health agencies.
Connecticut has been trying to develop a health information exchange since at least 2006, when the state Department of Public Health invested $300,000 into eHealthConnecticut.
That organization, which is backed by a 25-person board consisting of consumers, health care providers and employers, has worked to develop governance, security and privacy standards but has been unable to create the actual exchange because of a lack of financing.
THICC is looking to combine forces with eHealthConnecticut to put the HIE infrastructure in place by offering financial support for upfront costs covering the technology and training. The state’s hospitals would each chip in money to get the program going, which O’Neill estimates will cost about $3 million to $4 million. Annual ongoing expenses after that would total about $2 million to $3 million.’ Neill said Hartford Hospital has already invested $1.5 million in the project.
A lot of HIE initiatives have failed in the past because there is not a financial commitment from the provider community,” O’Neill said. “By having hospitals share the costs it creates a long-term sustainable effort.”
THICC also aims to get stimulus money to help pay for the exchange.
The American Recovery Reinvestment Act set aside $20 billion to provide incentives for EMR adoption. Beginning in 2011, physicians will get $44,000 to $64,000 over five years for implementing and using a certified EMR.
That money is crucial because only 10 percent to 15 percent of the 16,238 physicians in Connecticut have EMRs. The rate is low because roughly 55 percent of doctors in the state are in solo or small-group practices and can’t afford or lack the technical expertise to implement the technology.
Getting all physicians to adopt electronic medical records will take at least five years or longer, even with the stimulus funds, O’Neill said.
In addition, $300 million from the stimulus bill has been earmarked for statewide information exchange initiatives. O’Neill said THICC plans to apply for a share of those funds, but in order to have a good shot at them, the organization will need the backing of state government.
O’Neill said THICC has been in discussions with the state’s public health and social services departments about what they are trying to do.
Reader response:
“I keep reading about this and have contacted a few of the players to inquire about this project. Some are eager to respond while others do not respond at all. I am wondering what this will mean for jobs? Any insight, thoughts, etc? Each players will have their own EMR/EHR system running and then data will be extracted from there to a central repository, I am guessing. So there has to be some job opportunities associated with such a huge undertaking. I have 12+ years of experience with Allscripts the company, and their products. I am very interested in finding out more about this project. It appears fascinating and I would love to be a part of something so historical for CT. Thank you” — Alison Bossie, Womens Health
“ECHN has been addressing this issue through their Business Alliance for Community Health. Here we gather the same players to discuss healthcare reform and what it means for us locally. Our last speaker was Michal Hudson, NE regional director of AETNA.Fo rmore information please call (860) 872-5056. I invite the HBJ to do a story on this. ” — Stan Kontogiannis, ECHN
