Shared Health is one of the largest public/private HIEs in the country, managing records of nearly 4 million patients.
Under the contract first announced last August, Shared Health and the Mississippi Division of Medicaid connected the Medicaid beneficiaries' medical information across their network of clinical providers using Shared Health services.
Through the use of secure health IT systems at the point of care, Shared Health's goal is to help Mississippi Medicaid focus on reducing health care costs and improving patient care.
Robert L. Robinson, executive director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid, said that while cost savings are important in the current economic environment, so are healthier outcomes and support of those most in need.
"With the cost savings resulting from implementing an EHR/eScript system in Mississippi, we will be able to provide better service and care for the under-served population in our state," he said.
As part of the four-year contract, Shared Health will offer Mississippi Medicaid health care providers a secure web-based EHR; an e-prescribing system; and access to hospital discharge information. Shared Health will also provide services to support EHR adoption by Medicaid physicians statewide.
Shared Health's network – which includes a total of 4,200 physicians and nearly four million patient records – aims to register about 1,000 physicians in Mississippi.
Kim Wagner, chief information officer of Shared Health, said the project will give doctors better tools to manage clinical information, "allowing them to make better medical decisions at the point of care through relevant clinical information, including lab results, medications, immunizations, and allergies."
When combined with access to medical claims information and patient demographics, costs can be reduced because sharing data eliminates duplicative services, she added. At the same time, patient safety and treatment outcomes are improved.
Through the partnership, the State of Mississippi Division of Medicaid will also be able to store records electronically in a secure location, allowing access to those records even in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, officials said.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Bernie Monegain
Quelle/Source: Government Healthcare IT, 19.08.2010
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