New Study Shows Patient Care Alerts Nearly Doubled in One Year

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More healthcare professionals are receiving patient care alerts and increasingly performing related patient record queries through the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY), according to a new report by the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC).

The preliminary report used data from HEALTHeLINK, Healthix, and Rochester RHIO?three of New York's eight regional health information exchange networks connected by and comprising the Statewide Health Information Network for New York. The study looked at patient care alerts trends and their role in expanding the usage of an additional SHIN-NY service, patient record queries. The SHIN-NY allows participating healthcare professionals, with patient consent, to quickly access electronic health information and securely exchange data statewide.

Researchers found that subscription alert services, where participating SHIN-NY providers receive real-time notifications when a patient is admitted to or discharged from a hospital or emergency department, increased by 95 percent from 2016 to 2017. At the same time, query-based exchanges prompted by alerts, where providers request patient records for more comprehensive information at the time they are needed, increased by 102 percent.

"This study demonstrates the SHIN-NY is working, usage is growing, and every day it is helping providers manage their patients' care. Alerts and queries are free services offered to participating providers?we need everyone to get connected," said Valerie Grey, Executive Director of NYeC.

"We hear from our participant doctors every day and see more and more evidence as to how HEALTHeLINK and the SHIN-NY are working in support of better, more efficient patient care," said Dan Porreca, HEALTHeLINK Executive Director. "With our ability to alert providers of their patients' admissions and discharges to healthcare facilities, including local emergency department visits in real time and the ability to query HEALTHeLINK to understand what happened with their patient during that visit, care coordination is enhanced greatly. They can also schedule timely and needed follow-up visits to review diagnoses and new medications with their patients, ultimately reducing the chance of future readmissions."

"Our participants have come to rely upon clinical alerts for helping to manage patients with complex issues. To better support care management workflows, Healthix provides clinical summaries or CCDs with alerts, pushing data to providers so they receive the patient's clinical history with the alert. This enables them to make real-time clinical decisions," said Tom Check, President and CEO of Healthix.

"Alerts directly support and impact transitions of care across our 13-county region and the whole of New York," says Jill Eisenstein, President and­ CEO, Rochester RHIO. "They help our Rochester RHIO partners take more immediate and beneficial actions, resulting in a higher ­­degree of efficient and effective patient care."

The report also analyzed how organizations across the care continuum utilized additional SHIN-NY services after receiving alerts. Long-term care, health homes, federally qualified health centers, and primary care clinics received the most alerts. Specialists had the highest rate of follow-up queries to search for patient records through the SHIN-NY.

The report, funded by NYeC and prepared by researchers at Indiana University Richard Fairbanks School of Public Health and Weill Cornell Medical College, compared data from the second quarters of 2016 and 2017. It is a first-of-its-kind study surrounding the quantification of the relationship of alerts and query-based exchange. The study provides a baseline measurement to conduct additional research and gain a more comprehensive view of the value and role of alerts in providing clinicians with real-time information about their patients to support care coordination.

The next phase of the study will assess potential cost savings and patient outcomes with the usage of alerts and corresponding queries.

The preliminary report is available at www.nyehealth.org/alerts-study

About the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) 
NYeC is a non-profit organization working in partnership with the New York State Department of Health to improve healthcare by collaboratively leading, connecting, and integrating health information exchange across the state. nyehealth.org

About the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY)
The SHIN-NY connects eight regional networks, or Qualified Entities (QEs), that allow participating healthcare professionals, with patient consent, to quickly access electronic health information and securely exchange data statewide. The network enables collaboration and coordination of care to improve patient outcomes, reduce unnecessary and avoidable tests and procedures, and lower costs. Today, the SHIN-NY connects 98% of New York hospitals, over 80,000 medical providers, and represents millions of people who live in or receive care in New York State.

About HEALTHeLINK 
HEALTHeLINK is a collaboration among hospitals, physicians, health plans, and other healthcare providers in the eight counties of western New York State to securely exchange clinical information to improve the quality of care, enhance patient safety, and mitigate healthcare costs. HEALTHeLINK is a Qualified Entity of the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY), which enables providers to access their patients' data from across the state. HEALTHeLINK is also a founding member of the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC), the national trade association of health information exchanges. Providers and patients can visit wnyhealthelink.com or @HEALTHeLINK on both Facebook and Twitter for more information.

About Healthix
Healthix is the largest public health information exchange (HIE) in the nation, serving the most comprehensive range of organizations in New York from the largest hospital systems to the smallest community health centers and physician practices. As a key partner in the Statewide Health Information Network for NY (SHIN-NY), Healthix connects hundreds of organizations, with nearly 4,500 facilities across New York City and Long Island. Healthix delivers actionable patient data, in real time, at the point of care. By using Healthix, clinicians and care managers from different organizations can easily and securely collaborate on patient care. healthix.org

About Rochester RHIO
Rochester RHIO is a secure electronic health information exchange serving authorized medical providers and over one million patients in Monroe, Allegany, Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties in upstate New York. The service allows a medical care team to share records across institutions and practices, making patient information available wherever and whenever needed to provide the best care. Patients benefit from fewer repeated tests, easier second opinions, a reduced risk of mistakes caused by poor handwriting or incomplete records, and more informed care during office visits and emergencies. It is a Qualified Entity of the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY). Healthcare professionals and patients can learn more by visiting RochesterRHIO.org or by calling 877-865-RHIO (7446).

SOURCE New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)