Michigan healthcare providers to join medical exchange community

The concept of health information exchange (HIE) is becoming more and more salient in the medical community.

According to a recent article for Texas news source, San Antonio Express-News written by Gijs van Oort, the executive director of Texas-based HIE Healthcare Access San Antonio, there is a need in the medical community to provide services with greater efficiency and transparency.

Addressing this issue, van Oort writes that medical facility managers have recognized "that patient information needs to be available, at the right time at the right provider site, without compromising the privacy and the security of data." Consequently, electronic exchanges are growing to provide physicians with real-time patient data logged at any other participating facilities.

Mirroring the importance of HIE emphasized by van Oort, reports recently announced that at least six different healthcare practices as well as many individual doctors have made plans to join the Southeast Michigan Beacon Community in Detroit, an organization dedicated to providing meaningful healthcare IT services through communal participation.

Beacon reportedly received more than $16 million dollars in federal grant money in September 2010 to spearhead the creation of a healthcare network called "BeaconLink2Health."

Local Michigan health systems including Trinity Health, Henry Ford Health System, Oakwood Healthcare System, Beaumont Health System, St. John Providence Health System and Detroit Medical Center will be participating in a pilot program this spring, and the official HIE is meant to be up-and-running by late summer.

For other facilities looking to qualify for entry into a HIE by optimizing their digital infrastructure through the implementation of electronic medical records software, the process could be catalyzed through the deployment of a medical technology consulting company. By sending experienced staff members on-site for detailed product implementation and staff training, a facility's digital metrics can be enhanced with great efficiency. Consequently, a facility will be able to demonstrate criteria to enter a local HIE, ultimately increasing the quality of care a practice can provide.

Microwize Technology is a leading healthcare IT consultant offering products such as electronic medical records software and medical billing software from top providers like Allscripts and McKesson, including McKesson's Medisoft, Lytec and Practice Choice products.