KeyHIE and Vorro Partner to Expand Availability of Emergency Medical Information
KeyHIE Transform EMS makes it easier for EMS providers to transmit critical patient medical information available to hospitals for use in emergency situations
DANVILLE, Pa.—September 14, 2016—KeyHIE Transform® now makes it easier for EMS agencies to provide critical emergency medical information electronically to hospitals and other providers. Enabling nursing homes and home health agencies to exchange data electronically with hospitals and health systems, with or without an electronic health record (EHR) system, KeyHIE Transform in partnership with Vorro connects more than 37 nursing homes and home health agencies.
KeyHIE Transform EMS extracts clinically relevant National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) data from the Patient Care Report (PCR) and converts it into a standardized HL-7 CDA R2 document, or clinical summary. This clinical summary can then be easily incorporated into any health information exchange (HIE) so it can be accessed by participating clinicians. Having the data readily available in the HIE saves time in emergent situations over the time-consuming process of requesting information from the EMS agency and sending information via fax or phone call to the emergency clinician. Faster access to the information helps improve patient safety and ensures care coordination between clinicians.
“Seconds count in any emergency situation,” said Billy Waldrop, vice president of operations, Vorro. “The addition of EMS to KeyHIE Transform will ensure that the most critical emergency data about patients is already available in the HIE (health information exchange), which means clinicians can spend less time on discovery and more time to personally connect with patients.”
“This new service allows every EMS agency across the country to participate in health information exchanges everywhere at an extremely low cost,” said Kim Chaundy, Director KeyHIE. “By transforming EMS information into the CDA format, clinicians can more easily import that information into their local EHR system providing for greater interoperability of EMS data.”
KeyHIE Transform is a software solution that converts the minimum data set (MDS) or Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) that nursing homes transmit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for billing purposes into a standard Continuity of Care Document (CCD) that can be easily incorporated into an HIE. It was developed under the Keystone Beacon Community Program, which was established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate and demonstrate the ability of health IT to transform local healthcare systems to advance a patient-centered vision of care, improve care quality and reduce costs.
EMS adds to this capability by enabling NEMSIS patient assessment information to be shared within the HIE. In addition to expediting care, the new KeyHIE Transform EMS service is also more cost-effective. It reduces operating costs by eliminating the need for repeat phone calls or pages, faxing and waiting for paperwork. There is no set-up charge, and subscription pricing begins at $199/year or $15/month per EMS provider agency.
A roll-out plan has been outlined with grant funding opportunities available. Two pilot sites are operational, with national availability in September 2016. Details available on website: transform.keyhie.org
About Vorro:
Vorro provides robust, scalable integration solutions that connect disparate applications and technologies. BridgeGateHealth™’s any-to-any integration platform handles very complex data with virtually no coding required, reducing the complexity and length of integration projects to weeks or days resulting in lower costs. For more information, visit https://vorro.net/
About KeyHIE
The Keystone Health Information Exchange® (KeyHIE) was founded by Geisinger Health System in April 2005, via a memorandum of understanding signed by 8 hospitals throughout Central Pennsylvania. One of the nation’s largest and most advanced health information exchanges, KeyHIE connects 18 hospitals, 251 physician practices, 95 long-term care facilities, 30 home health agencies and other healthcare organizations. It serves over 4 million patients over a 53-county presence in Pennsylvania to ensure health information follows patients, regardless of where they receive care. KeyHIE offers a wide range of services to doctor’s offices, hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare organizations in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. For more information, visit KeyHIE.org.