Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/298548
S T H L BY T H E N U M B ER S 75 Million+ Records stored in the STHL HIE 1.8 Million Average records added each month 2,800+ Providers have access to the STHL HIE 25,000+ Patients have access to the STHL Patient Portal 186,000+ Patients have given affirmative consent 135 Organizations electronically contribute data 159 Organizations are connected with STHL 51% Percentage of service area connected with STHL 50% Percentage of statewide transaction totals from STHL 7 Years of operation COV ER FE AT UR E proven by the BCHD's collaboration with STHL. In addition to accessing the STHL database to treat patients in specialized county healthcare programs, the BCHD also uses STHL as a tool to improve public health surveillance for communicable diseases. Information from the HIE helps the BCHD identify outbreaks and control the rapid spread of infectious diseases in a more cost-effective way. Claudia Edwards explained in a Guest Viewpoint in the Press & Sun Bulletin, "Before we had access to STHL, it could take us several days and in some cases up to a week to access a patient's complete medical history, with an administrator coordinating multiple phone calls, faxes, lab tests and extensive medical paperwork." With access to electronic records through the STHL HIE, these obstacles are much less problematic, which has resulted in significant savings. Edwards added, "Over the last few years, this has enabled our department to significantly reduce our communicable disease investigation time and lower our administrative costs — up to $95,000 a year." The potential and valuable applica- tions for HIE data do not end with public health. STHL boasts extensive analytic capabilities that allow for fulfill- ment of customized reporting requests. Whether used for identifying local health trends, measuring patient outcomes or uncovering readmission factors, HIE data can do much more than simply help a physician treat a patient. The Next Steps While the STHL HIE already bridges information gaps within their local service area, their participation in the Statewide Health Information Network of New York (SHIN-NY) allows for an even higher-powered capability. The SHIN-NY provides the necessary linkage between all RHIOs in the state, so that providers from any region will have access to information from all points in the system. David Whitlinger, Executive Director of the New York eHealth Collaborative, the organization that oversees the SHIN-NY, explains the limitations of regiona l excha nges a nd the added b e n e f i t s o f c o n n e c t i n g w i t h a statewide network. "Each region has borders," Whitlinger explains. "By stitching the regions into a statew ide net work, we w ill have continuous records for all New Yorkers." Though an already-powerful local HIE, STHL is becoming an even more valuable asset with the addition of this cross-communit y lookup f unction. Because Binghamton University and other colleges are in their service area, providers frequently care for students who reside in other areas of the state — especially Downstate. Integration with the SHIN-NY means these providers can have access to important primary care information for these patients and, in return, their home providers will have data from their visits while away at school. Participation in the SHIN-NY not only means more information for provid- ers, but also for patients as well. STHL currently offers a patient portal tool that a llows patients to have secure online access to their data housed in the HIE, manage their consent choices for participating providers, and perform audit functions. In coordination with the SHIN-NY, STHL will soon be offer- ing a revised and improved version of this portal that will allow patients access to all of their state data in one place. This portal will also help providers connected with STHL to meet Stage 2 mea n i ng f u l u se re qu i rement s for engaging patients. Galanis foresees a bright future for STHL as it continues to expand provider adoption, add new and unique services, and encourage usage of this valuable resource — especially with emphasis on data contribution. "The value of HIE lies in the informa- tion that is housed in the database," she explains. Without participating physi- cians who are willing to contribute data to the HIE, caregivers must revert to less effective ways to obtain the information. Galanis concludes, "Providers must truly embrace and engage with HIE in order to provide the best care possible for their patients." For more information or to participate in t h e s e i n n o v a t i v e s e r v i c e s , v i s i t www.sthlny.com or contact STHL today. ■ Screenshot of patient image in the STHL Community PACS Viewer The shelter at Binghamton University, where STHL was on-site to assist the treatment of flood refugees with access to the STHL HIE. 8 | Central New York MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M