Pennsylvania HIE Releases Strategic Program;
Leverages Delaware HIE (DHIN)
Pennsylvania Health Information Exchange (PHIX) released its strategic plan (pdf)  for public comment last week in conjunction with Pennsylviania’s (Medicaid) Medical Assistance HIT Plan, which was released November 17, 2009. The PHIX plan proposes to “piggyback” on the highly-touted Delaware Health Information Network’s (DHIN) “existing contract for a proven technical platform which is based on interoperable standards. The DHIN platform is scalable to Pennsylvania’s needs and capable of handling the policies and procedures specific to Pennyslvania’s legal requirements independent of Delaware’s requirements.”

“The DHIN platform offers health systems and hospitals the ability to use edge-server technology where their data is houses remotely on a secure drive under their control. In this model the relevant data is uploaded to the edge server and is available for health care provider inquiries. The advantage of this architecture is faster response time and the ability ot exchange data without touching or impacting a health system or hospital information system.”  The plan anticipates saving as much as 12 to 18 months in implementation time, immediately leveraging the infrastrucure on which DHIN has already invested $20 million, and building on “operational policies, procedures, and relationships with vendors’ developed by DHIN.”

PHIX expects an allocation of $17.1 million in HIE grant funding from ONC, and the state has already committed $1 million. Public comments for the PHIX plan are due by December 20, 2009. The Medical Assistance HIT program will launch a listening tour around the state this year and in 2010.

Medical Assistance HIT Program Information for Stakeholders
Excerpted from PA Dept. of Public Welfare
Information For Consumers
“The MA Health IT Initiative will have a huge impact on a consumer’s experience in the health care system. The MA Health It Initiative is designed to empower the patient and provide them access to their own health care information. The initiative is also designed to improve communications between patients and providers allowing for easier follow up on recommended care, quick updates of new health status information and greater accountability for care for both the provider and the patient.

“Some of the main features of the initiative include:

• E-Prescribing which is aimed at reducing patient wait times at pharmacies and in decreasing adverse drug interactions
• Electronic referrals streamline process and eliminate paper forms
• Reduced need to provide medical information and history multiple times
• Possible life saving medical information available in an emergency situation
• Access information in their own electronic health record”

Improve Communication
“This includes communications between health care providers and with patients.Features of this program include:

• Increased ability to document communication with patients
• Enhanced ability to outreach to patients regarding both preventative care and adherence to chronic care needs

E-Prescribing
“This would allow providers to send prescriptions to pharmacies in electronic format. E-Prescribing will help to:

• Reduce errors due to deciphering handwriting
• Create and instant record of prescriptions to check for drug interactions
• Reduce patients responsibility in obtaining prescriptions

Ordering Tests and Referrals
“The initiative would allow providers the ability to order tests and send referrals electronically. This would benefits providers by:

• Reducing Paperwork
• Automating referrals to reduce administrative error
• Expediting the process of returning results, which could also be sent electronically

“In addition, implementing EHR’s and other forms of Health IT will increase access to immediate decision support tools like clinical guidelines, reduce staff time spent on administrative tasks, reduce time spent charting patient information, and allow providers and health care facilities the ability to make back-up copies of a patients medical history in case of emergencies or natural disasters.”

Pennsylvania HIT Plans
GOHCR (Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform)
PA Health Information Exchange (PHIX) Proposed Strategic Plan Nov 2009 (pdf)

PA (Medicaid) Medical Assistance HIT Program:
PA Medical Assistance HIT Initiative Web site
PA MA HIT Proposal: Transforming Health Care Delivery Through the Use of Information Technology: Vision and Goals of the MA Health IT Initative in Pennsylvania  (pdf) included within PHIX proposal
PA Medical Assistance HIT Proposal Slides