Cerner, a provider of health information technologies, is a pioneer in developing solutions that facilitate open communication between healthcare providers and the important patient data they deal with on a daily basis. The company recently announced another successful deployment of its health information exchange (HIE) solution in which Palmetto Health has been connected to the Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE).
More than two million patients are served by Palmetto Health, an integrated healthcare system primarily serving the residents of South Carolina, and GRAChIE, which is a collaboration between another integrated healthcare system called Navicent Health and Augusta University Health. Cerner’s HIE solution centralizes these patients’ electronic health records and other data so that physicians can seamlessly access it regardless of which facility they’re operating from.
Because these three organizations often refer patients to each other, there is a lot of crossover and the lack of data continuity has until now been a significant detriment to efficiency and therefore has hindered the provision of top-notch healthcare. Shareable information includes medications, immunizations, allergies, pre-existing conditions and even family history so that physicians can instantly have a clear picture of each patient’s unique situation and simultaneously eliminate a lot of tedious paperwork and factual cross-checking.
“Physicians should be able to easily access a patient’s medical history and other relevant data to provide the most appropriate care,” commented Bob Robke, Vice President of Interoperability at Cerner. “Connecting health organizations, large and small, will only help us push for true patient-centered interoperability, with individuals becoming more involved in their health journey.”
Cerner’s innovative solutions allow physicians to make care decisions faster and more effectively, which smooths operations for each organization while very tangibly benefitting the patients. There is no reason that organizational, geographical or technological boundaries should limit access to clinical information, and this HIE solution circumvents these issues even in the case of facilities using disparate electronic health systems.
“We continue to build a network that will help advance interoperability for the entire region,” said Tara Cramer, Executive Director of GRAChIE. “Up-to-date information, shared across all venues, will enable physicians to make the best care decisions for their patients.”
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
