Today, technology and medicine are deeply intertwined: doctors use 3-D printing to conduct heart surgery, pill-sized cameras to do endoscopies, and nuclear images to find brain tumors. But many doctors in New York still cannot access their patient’s electronic health records from other facilities, even though universal access could help save millions of lives and lower health care costs.
Luckily, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Assembly have both supported funding for the Statewide Health Information Network of New York, which will make sure doctors and patients have full access to electronic health records anywhere in the state. With final budget negotiations under way, I urge the Senate and Assembly to join the governor in fully funding this vital, life-saving program in the final budget.
At New York-Presbyterian, we have found that health information technology ensures safe medication use, promotes the highest quality patient care and reduces overall health care costs. That’s why NYP joined Healthix, a local health information exchange. Healthix provides fast and secure access to our patients’ electronic health records wherever they may be in New York City. It is one of 10 Regional Health Information Organizations in the state that comprise SHIN-NY.
Our doctors’ access to electronic health records has helped them make timely, fact-based decisions about prescribing medication and executing complicated and high-risk surgeries based on a patient’s medical history. Access to this information has improved care for patients.
Thanks to Healthix, we are able to send instant alerts to our doctors about the medications a patient is taking including medications from doctors outside of the hospital. This vital information has helped our doctors choose the most appropriate drug doses and frequencies, reducing the chances of triggering adverse drug reactions in our patients.
Access to electronic health records can minimize duplicated or unnecessary testing, such as CT scans and MRIs, saving us thousands of dollars every year. If a patient has already had a scan, we know about it and get the results without them needing to bring or fax in their records. This is important, given that 1 in 3 patients experience a delay in their treatment due to their health information not being readily available. Frequently, this time lag is exacerbated and prolonged further if a patient needlessly repeats tests.
Although Healthix has helped New York-Presbyterian and other participating hospitals and providers in its network produce an array of impressive results, it is not currently connected to the other Regional Health Information Organizations in New York. That means that if a patient comes to us from the Hudson Valley or Long Island, we don’t have access to their records.
Funding SHIN-NY will connect all of the networks. This will streamline patient care across the state and is expected to reduce state health care costs by roughly $200 million a year.
If the Legislature fully funds the governor’s proposal for SHIN-NY in final negotiations, it will improve the quality of health care for all New Yorkers.
Herb Pardes is executive vice chairman of New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
