{"id":1902,"date":"2011-02-16T07:00:28","date_gmt":"2011-02-16T15:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.formtek.com\/blog\/?p=1902"},"modified":"2011-02-16T07:00:28","modified_gmt":"2011-02-16T15:00:28","slug":"health-care-government-pilots-kick-off-for-health-record-sharing-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formtek.com\/blog\/health-care-government-pilots-kick-off-for-health-record-sharing-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Care: Government Pilots Kick Off for Health Record Sharing Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month the federal government launched a pilot in Minnesota and Rhode Island for the sharing of electronic health records via the internet. \u00a0The pilot is being called “the Direct Project<\/a>“. \u00a0 The pilot will expand next into New York, California, and Tennessee, and then later into Connecticut, Texas, and Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

The Direct Project defines a messaging protocol for the secure exchange of information between healthcare providers and between providers and patients. \u00a0The network will interconnect physicians, hospitals, labs, health information exchanges, and state health departments. \u00a0Basic clinical information, referrals and health care summaries will be able to be securely sent via the internet using the Direct Project, replacing mail and fax transmission of patient data.<\/p>\n

Using the Direct Project protocol, the Minnesota\u2019s premier Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC)\u00a0has been successfully sending immunization records to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) since January. \u00a0James Golden, Minnesota\u2019s state HIT coordinator, commented <\/a>that “this demonstrates the success that is possible through public-private collaborations. \u00a0This is an important milestone for Minnesota and a key step toward the seamless electronic movement of information to improve care and public health.”<\/p>\n

More than 60 companies and organization have contributed to work on the Direct Project. \u00a0The pilot project for health care data exchange will run through the end of 2011. \u00a0A formal adoption of the Direct Project as a standard and the availability of it for use common use by providers isn’t expected until some time in 2012.<\/p>\n

Other projects and pilots coming up later this year include:<\/p>\n

\n