Perot Systems Plays a Crucial Role in Establishing Health Information Exchanges
A Health Information Exchange (HIE) facilitates the flow of data among all healthcare constituents in a region. Providers, physicians, payers, employers, consumers, and government agencies have instant access to clinical data, making patient-centered care safer, more efficient, and certainly more equitable.
America’s spotlight is now shining on HIEs since the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) Act of 2009 provides $300 million of direct funding for their construction. In addition, the stimulus package includes more than $20 billion of indirect funding for certified Electronic Health Records (EHRs), which the bill requires to be exchanged electronically.
One of the strategic initiatives of 2009 is to transform Perot Systems healthcare group from providing primarily IT support services to a premier provider of HIE design, implementation, and operational services. We have already begun taking the steps to develop and provide the services and vision required to become a premier provider of HIE services, including:
- Economic Reality—Most organizations cannot afford to invest now in order to reap the benefits of the ARRA stimulus package in a few years. Providing HIE services in a subscription model nearly eliminates the need for capital, hence, increasing adoption.
- Full Service Provider—Packaging an HIE offering with an EMR offering and wrapping it with consulting provides a single point of contact for our clients. Providing the choice of an HIE or EMR product allows us to offer the right solution for the challenge.
- Evolution Options—With the understanding that the HIE landscape will go through significant changes as we evolve to a Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN), Perot Systems will offer clients multiple models, as well as the services to evolve from one model to another with minimal change and expense.
To do this, we are building on our HIE success domestically, as well as internationally.
First statewide HIE. In May 2007, the first statewide HIE in America went live with Perot Systems providing the operational services, and our technology alliance partner, Medicity, providing the HIE software. This HIE currently supports more than 2,000 users, representing 98 physician practices across 196 locations, exchange of more than 13 million unique encounters, and greater than 40 million transactions a year. Functionality includes the ability to exchange laboratory and pathology data, reports, face sheets, and discharge summaries, as well as linking to public health reporting organizations for bio-surveillance.
HIE for disaster preparedness. Perot Systems and its alliance partner, Medicity, have begun implementation of an HIE, which is scheduled to go live in summer 2009 in a Gulf Coast state. Perot Systems is able to offer the residents and healthcare organizations along the coast a solution that will help prevent the issues that arose when Hurricane Katrina devastated six coastal counties, washing away many paper medical records. Medicity provides the HIE functionality, while Perot Systems hosts the solution in its Plano Technology Center (PTC).
HIE/EMR hosting services. Tellurian Networks, now a Perot Systems company, provides the technology platform and hosting services for the HIEs including the hosting of EMR systems from NextGen and AllScripts:
- A Texas-based HIE that allows for the seamless exchange of patient medical-related information between different healthcare systems, including certified EMRs, hospital systems, labs, and pharmacies
- A New York state-based HIE that is dedicated to improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare for the benefit of the people in its region of the state
- A not-for-profit Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) devoted to facilitating patient-centric care and promoting improved healthcare quality, affordability, and outcomes for New Yorkers
International Experience. Perot Systems international teams are building on our HIE experience of developing regional and statewide exchanges by developing and operating countrywide exchanges. We have been working in the U.K. since 2003 on an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) initiative to connect 10,000 doctors to 70 hospitals. In 2008, the country of Jordan awarded Perot Systems the contract to connect its hospitals and clinics through the use of the VistA system from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
In addition to delivering services for HIEs, Perot Systems has also been influencing the organizations that define standards for them. As an example, in the U.S., networks need to become certified to qualify for federal funds. Perot Systems worked with the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) to help develop criteria for a "Certified Network."
HIEs represent the new direction for healthcare in America. The industry is recognizing Perot Systems’ lead because of its healthcare experience and technical process expertise to bring it to reality in the digital age.