Magnolia hospital exchanging health records with other places where its patients are treated
Magnolia Regional Medical Center has announced its participation in SHARE (Arkansas State Health Alliance for Records Exchange).
SHARE is the statewide health information exchange that enables electronic exchange of MRMC patient health records with other health care entities where MRMC patients are also being treated.
Arkansas’ statewide exchange makes it possible for electronic records from one medical system or provider to be shared with any other provider on their healthcare team, whether or not those providers are using the same electronic heath records systems. Through SHARE, a private primary care physician from out-of-town is able to access a patient’s full electronic health record while he or she is being treated at MRMC, receiving real-time updates about that care.
“Having a strong, secure network for sharing patient health records will improve the quality and speed of care for our patients,” said Margaret West, MRMC chief executive officer. “When patients can trust that their medical information will follow them no matter where they are being treated, we will benefit from both improved patient satisfaction and more cost-effective care through reduced duplicate testing.”
Using SHARE, an outside physician referring a patient to MRMC can immediately transfer the patient’s electronic medical history to MRMC, reducing redundancy and cost of treatment and improving patient care coordination. MRMC will push its patients’ admission, discharge and transfer information, lab results and X-ray reports from its electronic health record system to SHARE for outside providers caring for MRMC patients to access as needed.
MRMC patient data are now among more than 900,000 patient records being exchanged by health providers in Arkansas through SHARE. The statewide movement of health information will grow as more Arkansas health care entities implement SHARE and exchange date with MRMC clinics. As of November, 27 Arkansas hospitals and 341 medical practices were connected with SHARE.
“By activating SHARE, MRMC leadership has taken a major step forward in improving the delivery and outcomes of care for MRMC patients,” said Ray Scott, Arkansas health information technology coordinator.
“We are finding that fewer patients see only one physician or go to only one health care organization for care. National data indicate the average American patient has seen 18 different doctors, and up to 28 different doctors if they have a chronic disease like diabetes or a heart condition,” Scott said. “These providers need to be working from the patient’s same master electronic health record. It just makes sense.”
All electronic health information exchanged in SHARE is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and safeguarded by security rules that provide a higher level of privacy and accountability than paper health records.
Patients do not have to take any action to participate in SHARE, although they can decline to participate. Patients checking into MRMC will receive information about the connection, including an option to opt-out of participation. When patients opt out of SHARE, their electronic health records will only be share with other providers on their healthcare team in the event of an emergency.
The federal government is encouraging adoption and meaningful use of electronic health record systems like SHARE.
