By Karla James
Iowans on the western side of the state should have an easier time when the go to doctor or hospital as the Iowa Health Information Network is now linked up with Nebraska’s Health Information Initiative. Deb Bass, the CEO of the Nebraska system, says the two states can now send and receive medical records electronically.
“It’s a direct secure email, and then we can send health information across state lines, so that somebody who is coming from a small community in Iowa to the Omaha area hospitals, their medical records can transfer with them using this secure email,” Bass says.
Bass says they have taken several steps to ensure the system is safe and secure. She says it’s a secure email product and they have also gone through the identification process of the person who is sending the email to verify who they are, and it goes to someone who is verified as being able to receive the information. “So, it’s from one known individual to another known individual, a secure exchange of email,” Bass says.
Bass says it is an important milestone to have the two states able to share this information. “Different states have different laws, so when you start crossing state’s borders, you have special challenges with that,” Bass explains.Bass says this is also one more step in the development of a national health care information exchange system.
