- Final Interoperability Rule Has Implications for APIs, FHIR
"Consensus can be used by providers with or without an electronic health record system (EHR). Some EHRs already connect to Carequality. If not, Consensus users now have the benefit of on-demand query for no charge."
Stress on the healthcare system is rising as frontline healthcare workers struggle to quickly and efficiently assess a patient’s acuity level and prioritize individuals at greatest risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency rooms, urgent care centers, specialty providers, telehealth providers, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), durable medical equipment (DME) companies, and others across the care continuum are struggling with access to patient data.
The Consensus query tool, connected by Kno2, allows for timely, coordinated care responses by ensuring access to a detailed on-demand patient record-retrieval service at no cost to users. The tool also lessens the burden for the entire healthcare community with an on-demand record retrieval service.
The COVID-19 pandemic calls for a need to share patient information, facilitating requests and response for patient records. But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic uncovers challenges with health data interoperability, according to Niam Yaraghi, a fellow in governance studies at the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings Institution.
The US is lacking health information technologies to properly contain COVID-19, explained Yaraghi. He mentioned that two doctors stressed that travel history information should be integrated into EHRs, as this would put infectious symptoms into context for healthcare professionals.
“Healthcare providers could connect with many more concerned patients through telehealth technologies and alleviate unnecessary trips to emergency rooms,” Yaraghi said. “This would significantly reduce redundant traffic at hospitals that impedes the provision of medical services
“Policy makers should in the meantime consider replacing regulations that hinder the exchange of health data outside of the healthcare market with the ones that protect the privacy of patients in a more compatible way with today’s technologies and demands.”
J2 Global is aiming to alleviate some of these health IT infrastructure stresses through Consensus. The interoperability platform will offer one comprehensive connection with a dashboard to manage all incoming and outgoing patient documents including cloud faxes, direct secure messaging, patient query, and API integration into exchanges, the announcement stated.
Users do not need an EHR for the high level of enhanced data fluidity and digital interoperability. But the HR will provide an easy and efficient workflow for integrating patient data.
"We are all deeply aware of the stress that the COVID-19 pandemic is putting on our healthcare system," said Dave Cassel, executive director of Carequality. "Recognizing the need for patient information to flow seamlessly during this crisis, Carequality wants to ensure that as many clinicians as possible are able to take advantage of the nationwide connectivity the Carequality Framework provides. We have temporarily waived some prerequisites to access that make sense in normal times but can be removed to streamline access in extraordinary times."
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