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Revolutionizing health care communications
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Published with the October 1, 2013 Baton Rouge Business Report. Copyright © 2013 Louisiana Business Inc. Special Advertising Section.
The Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum, a private, not-for-profit, neutral group created by the state Legislature in 2007, is dedicated to working together with providers, payers, patients and employers for a healthier Louisiana. The Quality Forum leads evidence-based, collaborative initiatives that are designed to improve the health of Louisiana residents while reducing health care costs.
Much of the focus in 2013 has been an awareness campaign for the Louisiana Health Information Exchange, or LaHIE, an initiative that revolutionizes the way providers and organizations electronically access and share health-related information to improve patient safety, quality of care and health outcomes. Via LaHIE, authorized providers involved in a patient’s care can “talk” to one another electronically, having access to information about medical history, allergies, prescriptions, specialist visits, lab results and more.
Chief Executive Officer Cindy Munn explains, “For example, if I go to the emergency room with chest pain and that doctor does not have electronic health records and is not connected to the state exchange, he or she isn’t going to have access to my current medical history. As part of my visit, the doctor will treat me at the time and may refer me to a cardiologist. As time goes by and I’m feeling better, I may not go to the cardiologist. My primary care doctor may not even know I went to the ER, and I’m not going to tell him because I feel better. Without proper management, I’ll wind up back in the ER.” But with the HIE and patient consent, the ER doctor can query the patient’s name to get immediate access to pertinent health information. The primary care physician will also be alerted by the exchange of the patient’s ER visit, and that triggers a follow-up with the patient. The cycle changes with LaHIE, Munn says, in that the gap is bridged between multiple doctors and specialists all seeing the same patient. Another important aspect is that LaHIE is “vendor neutral”: It doesn’t matter what electronic health record system is used; they can all connect and exchange information.
The Quality Forum has also been pushing analytics to the forefront of its agenda, says Munn. In particular, it is partnering with communities to help them study their emergency department utilization patterns. “Using analytics, we collect and analyze the data and share it with the providers to help them understand who is coming in frequently, what are the most common diseases, how far people are traveling for treatment, a possible need for more primary care in that community, and so on,” Munn says. The ER is the most expensive place to receive care, and this data can assist health care providers in identifying and developing resources at the community level to prevent or reduce unnecessary ER utilization.
At each step of the way, the organization meets with stakeholders across the state to prioritize initiatives and to discuss solutions to problems. Munn says the Quality Forum is the “neutral, secure hub” for everyone.
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