Regional Data Project to Improve Patient Health

New regional data project launches to improve patient health 

The i3 project will bring together two local groups to improve the flow and accessibility of patient health information 

CINCINNATI – The Health Collaborative and the Independent Physicians Collaborative, two local organizations working to improve regional health and healthcare, have launched a new partnership to take the next big step in regional patient health data exchange.

The Interoperability Improvement Initiative, or i3 project, will ensure a patient’s comprehensive medical data is available to the right doctor, at the right time, improving patient care and reducing healthcare costs.

Currently, data exchange initiatives between independent providers and health systems can be inefficient to address needs present universally in the community. There is inconsistency in participation from independent providers, rules, utilization of Direct Messaging technology, and a centralized data governance process. These challenges to accessing data affect the quality of care doctors in the region can provide their patients.

The i3 project aims to change this for the region by developing uniform data exchange standards for health systems and independent providers in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana. i3 will develop standardized protocol for exchanging referral and transition of care data, as well as physician-to-physician communication using Direct Messaging, allowing area physicians to participate equally in the exchange of patient data.

“This partnership is an unprecedented opportunity for our region to improve regional data exchange,” says Glen Prasser, Executive Director of the Independent Physicians Collaborative, which represents nearly 600 independent physicians and approximately 1,000,000 patients in the region. “Patients are routinely seen by both hospital system and independent physicians. It’s critical that physicians have immediate access to patient care data regardless of where the medical services took place. The i3 project will improve patient care, experience and reduce costs through sharing of healthcare data bi-directionally between all health systems and all independent providers through The Health Collaborative HealthBridge service line.”

One of the key deliverables of the project will include a community-wide clinical repository hosted by The Health Collaborative, a non-profit based in Cincinnati that serves as a neutral convener of over 30 hospitals and health systems in the region. This repository will be able to store, manage, and aggregate data by patient, doctor, or practice and be accessible via doctors’ current electronic medical record platforms.

“Exceptional patient care would be the ability of any patient and their doctor to access their health records when they need it, regardless of organizational boundaries,” says Jason W. Bucker, Senior VP, Informatics, at The Health Collaborative. “The i3 is a big step toward ensuring this covers every patient, and every doctor in Greater Cincinnati. We are excited to be working with the established and trusted network of the Independent Physicians Collaborative to deliver this for our community.”

The i3 project is currently in the initial planning phases, with anticipated launch in the last quarter of 2017.

About the Health Collaborative: 

The Health Collaborative is a non-profit organization that strives to positively impact health status, experience, outcomes, and affordability by fostering a connected system of healthcare and community health through innovation, integration, and informatics in the greater Cincinnati region. For more information about the Health Collaborative, visit www.healthcollab.org.

About the Independent Physicians Collaborative: 

The Independent Physicians Collaborative brings together close to 600 independent physicians and over 3,400 medical and customer service professionals providing quality care to over 1,000,000 patients annually in the Greater Cincinnati community including Northern Kentucky, Southeastern Indiana and Dayton. Their team of medical professionals are working together to provide and preserve the highest quality, most convenient, and most cost-effective healthcare options available to the residents of the Cincinnati Tri-State area. For more information on the Independent Physicians Collaborative visit http://www.ipcdoctors.com/.