SYRACUSE — Central New York’s health information exchange (HIE) now covers patient records for more than 1 million people in its 11-county region, its overseeing organization reported this week.
HealtheConnections, which is the regional health information organization (RHIO) responsible for running Central New York’s HIE, has signed up 17 regional hospitals, five diagnostic centers, and 94 physician practices since it started working with providers in October of 2010. That means various providers could view physician-visit summaries, laboratory reports, radiology reports, and other health information from patients visiting those institutions.
Patients must give their consent before health-care providers can view their information through the HIE. Over 400,000 patients have given such consent, according to HealtheConnections.
“These two milestones are testaments to the strong support and trust of providers and patients in our regional communities,” HealtheConnections RHIO Executive Director Rob Hack said in a news release. “Connecting patient care through the exchange is an important step forward in improving health care throughout Central New York.”
Giving different providers a chance to view records through the HIE aims to improve care by preventing duplicate tests and cutting harmful medication interactions. It could also keep providers from having to work off of incomplete records in an emergency.
Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com