 The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) has partnered with global eHealth specialist InterComponentWare Inc. (ICW) and Surescripts, operator of the country's largest electronic prescribing network, for an eHealth prototype project to facilitate prescription routing and, with a patient's consent, deliver prescription history for NY residents through the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY).
New York's statewide health information technology strategy envisions
widespread use of health IT tools by clinicians and consumers. This prototype
will demonstrate secure and accurate transmission of prescription benefit and
prescription history information, and prescription routing between electronic
medical records (EMRs), the Surescripts network, and pharmacies and payers,
utilizing technical services and standards for health information exchange
included in the ICW HealthCare Connector.
Surescripts (formed by the merger of Surescripts and RxHub in 2008) connects
the nation's payers, prescribers and pharmacies for the safe and secure
electronic exchange of prescriptions and prescription information.
“SHIN-NY's vision for New Yorkers aligns with Surescripts' vision for all
healthcare providers - secure, electronic access to prescription information that can save patients' lives, improve efficiency and reduce the cost of healthcare, said Rick Ratliff, president, Surescripts Virginia division. "The Surescripts network, coupled with ICW’s technology, will be a significant first step towards statewide access to prescription history data across NYS."
Rachel Block, executive director of NYeC explains the importance of this project, "SHIN-NY was formed based on a statewide goal to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare for all New Yorkers. Information technology is a
key ingredient in achieving our goals. By partnering with ICW, a proven technology provider, and Surescripts, the nation's largest e-prescribing network, we will benefit from experience and will receive the guidance necessary for creating a fully interoperable, statewide health information network. And from here, we can address issues relative to population health management, drug efficacy, and statewide resource planning."
Jeremy Coote, CEO of InterComponentWare Inc. notes, "We believe there will
be immediate value for HIE through medication management. New York's
technical policies and standards can be leveraged by Surescripts and ICW and
will allow physicians - with a patient's consent - to securely access,
authenticate and audit a patient's prescription history, thereby enabling them to avoid duplication, spot illness trends, and make more informed prescribing decisions." Coote adds, “The key to the success of this initiative lies in the governance and trust established by NYeC, combined with ICW's and Surescripts' ability to provide access while delivering the highest levels of security and privacy."
The prototype project is in its initial phases and is on track for general
implementation in late 2009.
About InterComponentWare, Inc.
InterComponentWare AG (ICW) is a leading international eHealth specialist with locations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria, USA, and Canada. ICW delivers an interoperable eHealth infrastructure and a range of end-user applications for healthcare professionals and their patients. ICW technology enables organizations to extend their existing information systems, connect with diverse systems, and create a secure patient health record based on aggregated data. The interoperability and health information exchange components of its solutions make aggregated data a reality. ICW has successfully implemented its solutions across Europe and in North America. Visit online at www.icw-global.com.
About Surescripts
Surescripts is the result of a 2008 merger between the country's two leading health information networks: RxHub and Surescripts. Surescripts gives healthcare providers secure, electronic access to prescription information that can save their patients' lives, improve efficiency and reduce the cost of healthcare for all. Available during emergencies or routine care, the Surescripts network is used every day by thousands of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other prescribers across all 50 states. The Surescripts network connects these prescribers to all of the nation's major chain pharmacies, the nation's leading payers and independent pharmacies nationwide. For more information, go to www.surescripts.com.
About NYeC
The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) was founded in 2006 by health care leaders across the state, with leadership and support from the New York State Department of Health, based on a shared vision of the urgent need to improve health care quality, safety and efficiency in New York. NYeC is a public-private partnership that will serve as a focal point for health care stakeholders to build consensus on state HIT policy priorities, and to collaborate on state and regional HIT implementation efforts, in order to improve the organization, delivery and outcomes of health care for all New Yorkers.
NYeC will become a trusted, independent voice that can reflect a diverse array of interests and perspectives on key policies and standards to ensure that HIT implementation efforts are successful, and to realize the state's return on investment under HEAL-NY and other funding mechanisms. |
