For the next several posts, we are featuring the four keys to an effective health information exchange our CEO and President, Lindy Benton, shared in an article that was published by Sand Hill.

Here is the full article, or you can keep reading for more!

As the volume of healthcare data grows, so does the need for HIPAA-compliant methods to protect sensitive information while maintaining accessibility at the point of need.

To effectively manage healthcare processes and leverage resulting structured and unstructured data, hospitals need technology to facilitate the secure exchange of health information and communication among fellow providers, patients and insurers.

Technology is needed to encompass all forms of data – voice, fax, image data and electronic documents – and provide seamless exchange while securing protected health information in the process.

The First Key: Electronic Import, Delivery and Tracking

Paper-based documentation processes are time-consuming and error-prone, presenting risks for data loss and security breach. It also consumes resources with manual efforts to fax, print, route and scan paper records.

Technology platforms that facilitate secure electronic exchange allow providers to share protected health data in a manner that saves time, reduces cost and eliminates waste.

In the area of medical claim documentation, health information exchange facilitates the secure electronic exchange of patient medical records between providers and health plans. Any documentation required by a payer to adjudicate a claim can be captured, indexed to the patient and securely transmitted to the requesting party. This gives hospitals the ability to respond more quickly to time-sensitive audit documentation requests, such as prior authorization review and pre- and post-payment claims audits.

Records are delivered and tracked through CONNECT gateway standards, the open source health information exchange software that serves as the electronic submission of medical documentation (esMD) transmission mode for the National Health Information Network (NwHIN). Delivery tracking ensures that records are received within specified time frames, improving the timeliness of responses to documentation requests for RAC and MAC claims and audit reviews.

With an electronic solution, providers can quickly transmit an unlimited number of records, delivering them in a secure encrypted format. Patient records can be captured from any source – paper, medical record, image, file import or mobile device – and placed in an electronic envelope for secure delivery.

This allows providers to combine data such as x-rays, charts, EOBs and narratives from a variety of sources to support documentation request. The health plan can then simultaneously review the electronic medical claim and supporting documentation in one location.

Learn more about how your hospital could save money with this free webinar on esMD.