Demonstrations with Public and Private Sector Health Providers Showcase Link to Support Care for 'Wounded Warriors' OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 23
OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- William Ozzie may be a fictional
soldier, but his electronic health record showed how Kaiser Permanente, the
Department of Veterans Affairs and private sector providers can seamlessly
share information over an interoperable health information exchange. In a
critical step towards giving patients and doctors a "health care Internet,"
Kaiser Permanente today collaborated with the VA in a unique "wounded warrior"
test demonstration of the Nationwide Health Information Network. The scenario
showed how physicians could safely and securely share Ozzie's sample medical
history across multiple EHR systems, such as Kaiser Permanente
HealthConnect(TM) and the VA's VistAWeb, to inform medical decisions and
deliver high quality care regardless of location or where the health record
originated.
"As the nation seeks new solutions for reforming health care and reducing
costs, this partnership with the VA and other providers illustrates how health
information technology can dramatically reshape the health care system and
improve patient outcomes. This is particularly important for our veterans and
'wounded warriors' who deserve the best care available," said Andy Wiesenthal,
associate executive director of The Permanente Federation. "The ultimate goal
is for all providers and patients to have secure digital access to the right
health information at the right time, something Kaiser Permanente has achieved
for our community with KP HealthConnect(TM), the world's largest civilian
electronic health record system. The engagement with VistAWeb, one of the
largest electronic health interfaces, used throughout VA's more than 1,400
points-of-care, is a tremendous milestone. With this NHIN demonstration and
other initiatives such as KP's Microsoft HealthVault pilot project, we're
taking the next step in making electronic health records standards-based and
interoperable."
In the test demonstration at the American Health Information Community
meeting in Washington, D.C., Kaiser Permanente physician George Peredy, MD,
showed how William Ozzie's sample patient data could be obtained from five
different health providers including the VA, the Department of Defense and the
private sector. In the model, Ozzie was wounded in Iraq and received
treatment over the course of nearly two years at Bethesda Naval Hospital in
Maryland; MedVirginia St. Mary's Hospital in Virginia; Holston Medical Group
Urgent Care in Tennessee; NCHICA First Health facility in North Carolina;
Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Virginia; and finally a Kaiser
Permanente hospital in California. Dr. Peredy, demonstrating how an NHIN
exchange could work, showed the sample medical information flow from the other
facilities in the test environment to a Kaiser Permanente model and be used
immediately at the point of care.
As nearly every patient today receives care from multiple providers,
interoperable electronic health records that can share data are critical for
truly integrated care. This need is particularly evident within the military
health community. Approximately 40 percent of America's veterans receive their
health care outside of VA facilities, and up to 70 percent of active duty
personnel health care is provided outside of the U.S. Department of Defense's
health system.
Much like how automated teller machines from various banks share
information and work seamlessly for account holders from different
institutions, electronic health records from different systems can be safely
linked to provide access to data. The health information exchanges
demonstrated by Kaiser Permanente and the VA are premised on ensuring the
privacy and security of patient information, and as integrated systems like
these are operationalized in the future, patient consent to share data will be
obtained at the very beginning of the engagement.
With KP HealthConnect, all of Kaiser Permanente's 14,000-plus physicians
have electronic access to their patients' medical records in every one of
Kaiser Permanente's 421 medical offices and clinics. Kaiser Permanente's 8.7
million members have access to My Health Manager -- Kaiser Permanente's
personal health record -- where they can manage their health online. Patients
are empowered, with My Health Manager providing critical time-saving features,
including online appointment scheduling and prescription refills. In addition,
users have 24/7 online access to lab test results, eligibility and benefits
information, and even their children's immunization records.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in
1945, the program is headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves
nearly 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today
it encompasses Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation
Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the Permanente Medical Groups.
Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 165,000 technical,
administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 14,000
physicians representing all specialties. The organization's Labor Management
Partnership is the largest such health care partnership in the United States.
It governs how more than 130,000 workers, managers, physicians and dentists
work together to make Kaiser Permanente the best place to receive care, and
the best place to work. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit the Kaiser
Permanente News Center at: http://www.kp.org/newscenter
SOURCE Kaiser Permanente
