Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL), a non-profit that helps Vermont providers use health information technology to improve patient care, teamed with Fletcher Allen Health Care, a health system in Burlington, to interface clinical data with Vermont’s health information exchange (HIE).
As a result of the pilot, radiology and transcribed reports from Fletcher Allen have been made available to other statewide providers participating in the HIE provider portal program. These reports can also be delivered directly into that providers’ electronic health record (EHR) system.
“Hospitals generate volumes of clinical data that can be critically relevant for treating patients in order to enhance care, so it is invaluable for providers to have immediate access to patient health information, especially at the point of care,” John K. Evans, CEO of VITL, said in a statement. “What we learned through the pilot is that the development time of these interfaces can be dramatically improved by expediting decisions related to specifications and testing.”
According to VITL, having these test results submitted securely and electronically to providers not only makes it easier for them to treat patients recently seen at Fletcher Allen, but also saves time tracking down that information. That allows those providers to have all of their patient information immediately available at the time of the appointment.
