Physicians who have adopted electronic health record systems have a growing number of options to participate in the exchange of these documents. This sharing of information is expected to be a key component of unlocking the full benefits of health IT, and new exchanges are generating a significant amount of excitement among medical professionals.
The latest development in the exchange of electronic health records is the launch of the Aurion Project, which went live on May 3, according to Healthcare IT News. This open source system developed from the federal government's CONNECT project, which sought to develop a simple system that could be used by any provider across the country and produced a set of interoperability standards.
Officials from the Alembic Foundation, which developed the system, said that they have received strong interest from electronic health records users, many of whom have expressed a belief that the free flowing exchange of patient data could lead to many improvements in the delivery of care.
"The interest in the community is starting off at a great pace," Vanessa Manchester, COO of the Alembic Foundation, told the news source. "People do see that this is something that can benefit all the organizations out there."
A number of health IT stakeholders, from government agencies and hospital organizations to health information exchange networks and software developers, have all contributed to the development of the system, making it an effective tool for the exchange of electronic health records.
These types of networks have been the source of much excitement in the healthcare industry and many organizations are rushing to join established groups. One such organization in New York has seen a number of groups in the area become members and is looking to expand even further in the coming months.
The HealtheConnections information exchange network recently announced that five healthcare groups in Central New York have agreed to become members and begin exchanging electronic health records. Officials said that they are continuing to work to attract 15 more providers in the area.
Dr. David Duggan, president of the Onondaga County Medical Society, said that the ability of these organizations to freely exchange electronic health records could play a major in efforts to improve patient care.
"The health information exchange is an important step forward in improving health care in the Central New York community," he said. "Immediate electronic access to patient medical information is crucial in emergency situations to improve diagnoses and outcomes."