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Clarian, St. Francis Become Newest Addition to Indiana Health Information Exchange

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 February 2006, 09:00 CST

Clarian Health Partners and St. Francis Hospitals & Health Centers in Indianapolis have now joined the Indiana Health Information Exchange, which runs one of the nation's best clinical messaging systems. The system is expected to have a huge impact on the quality of healthcare delivery for Clarian and St. Francis physicians and patients by improving safety and efficiencies.

This system uses software called DOCS4DOCS(R) Clinical Messaging, which provides Clarian and St. Francis physicians and practices with clinical patient information, such as pathology, laboratory, radiology and electrocardiogram reports, transcripts and admission, discharge and transfer records. It also allows Clarian and St. Francis physicians to exchange information with physicians at other hospitals who are part of IHIE. Currently, over 2,900 physicians out of 3,200 in the Indianapolis area are sending and receiving 29,000 messages each day via IHIE. Paper reports, which are typically delivered via courier, mail or fax, cost approximately 81 cents to deliver. With IHIE's clinical messaging system, the cost for these reports is cut in half.

"IHIE is a dramatic advancement in health care information technology that is furthering our efforts to provide high quality, efficient and seamless care for the benefit of our patients," said Daniel F. Evans, Jr., President and CEO of Clarian Health Partners. "Clarian is fully engaged in this process and in ensuring that all providers and health care professionals are equipped with the necessary tools and cutting-edge technologies to deliver the very best in patient care."

In addition to Clarian and St. Francis, St. Vincent Health and Community Health Network are currently using the IHIE messaging system. Wishard Memorial Hospital is scheduled to be 'on-line' by early 2006.

"The good thing about this system is that it quickly 'pushes' the information to the physician," said Dr. J. Marc Overhage, President and CEO of IHIE. "All the physician needs to do is log in to the portal and they are able to view their patient test results, regardless of which hospital or lab their patient used. The secure data has been uniformly formatted and provides one-stop access to information that, in the past, was available only through several different systems."

IHIE is currently evaluating 18 other types of data sources to expand the clinical messaging system, including medication histories. It also expects to increase the system's interactive capabilities by providing clinical reminders, such as when a patient is due for blood work or needs to schedule an annual physical, to alert physicians.

IHIE's leadership in healthcare information technology extends far beyond running the clinical messaging system. In fact, IHIE and Regenstrief Institute are participating in a national consortium to develop a prototype for a nationwide health information network architecture, in part because of the success and sophistication of the IHIE clinical messaging system and also because of other local efforts like the Indiana Network for Patient Care. These activities are vaulting Indiana into the national spotlight and providing an opportunity to truly take the lead in developing a national healthcare information technology system.

While these efforts are already making Indiana a hub for healthcare information technology research and development, IHIE is already demonstrating value to the community. As healthcare costs continuing to rise, many businesses have to look at ways to improve their bottom line. With its role in reducing medical costs, IHIE is providing a better economic environment for employers in Indiana.

IHIE is among the first start-up enterprises formed through BioCrossroads, Indiana's life sciences initiative, in collaboration with regional hospitals, the Regenstrief Institute, and other prominent state and local health organizations.

About the Indiana Health Information Exchange

Indiana Health Information Exchange, Inc. (IHIE), a non-profit corporation for sharing clinical information among healthcare providers and other health care entities. The company will use a sophisticated, secure information exchange designed to protect patient privacy while at the same time enhancing the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. www.ihie.com

About Clarian Health Partners

It is the mission of Clarian Health Partners to improve the health of patients and the community through innovation and excellence in care, education, research and service. Clarian Health Partners is an Indiana-based, private, non-profit organization, offering a broad base of tertiary and quaternary services, including specialized pediatric care provided by Riley Hospital for Children, a Level 1 Trauma Center, and internationally recognized gastroenterology, transplant, cancer, neurology, orthopedic, trauma, cardiovascular and women's services. Clarian is Indiana's largest and most comprehensive health system and one of the busiest hospital systems in the nation focused on delivering the highest quality care in a family-centered environment. Combined with the Indiana University School of Medicine, one of the nation's leading medical education and research centers, Clarian is a primary component of the Bio Crossroads life sciences initiative. As one of Indiana's largest employers, Clarian contributes 13,000 employees to Indiana's workforce, and owns or is affiliated with 15 hospitals and health centers throughout Indiana, including Methodist and Indiana University hospitals, Riley Hospital for Children and Clarian West and North Medical Centers, all located in the Greater Indianapolis area.

About St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers

St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, founded in 1914 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, is one of the largest health care systems in Indiana, with three main facilities in Beech Grove, Indianapolis and Mooresville. St. Francis Hospital is part of a network of 12 growing hospital campuses in Indiana and Illinois owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc.

In 2005, St. Francis was recognized as one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals(R) by Solucient, the leading source of health care business intelligence. The award recognizes hospitals that have achieved excellence in quality of care, operational efficiency, financial performance, and adaptation to the environment.

St. Francis also is the only teaching hosptial in Indiana to receive the HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Awards for Clinical Excellence(TM) three years consecutively and is ranked among the top 5% of all hospitals in the country for overall clinical performance.

Source: Business Wire

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