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Indiana Health Information Exchange Announces New Quality Health First of Indiana Program; Program Expands Information Available to Physicians to Better Monitor Patient

Posted on: Monday, 31 July 2006, 09:00 CDT

The Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) continues to transform the healthcare delivery system by using innovative programs to help improve the health of patients and reduce costs. Today, IHIE is announcing a new program, called Quality Health First of Indiana.

This community program will provide information to Indianapolis-area physicians to assist them in improving the quality and consistency of care they provide to their patients. It will also assemble information that will help reward physicians for improving the quality of care they provide their patients.

Quality Health First combines medical and drug claims data from participating health plans with patient prescription drug data, lab and test results from the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC) database to create reports that physicians can use to better monitor and improve the health of their patients.

IHIE received a $2 million gift from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation for clinical quality support services. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield also provided funding to help develop this new program. In addition to Anthem, other participating health plans include M-Plan, MDwise and Medicare, which, combined, represent over 700,000 Indianapolis-area residents. Participating medical groups include Clarian Health Partners, Community Physicians of Indiana, IU Medical Group, Methodist Medical Group, St. Francis Medical Group, St. Vincent Physician Network and The Care Group. The program is actively seeking to expand participation and discussions are ongoing with other health plans.

The program's architecture was developed under the auspices of the Employers Forum of Indiana. The Forum, of which IHIE is a member, is a coalition of employers, health plans, physicians, hospitals, public officials and other stakeholders that share the goal of improving the value purchasers and patients receive for their health care dollar.

During this planning phase, the Forum achieved a broad consensus among physician groups, payers, employers and other stakeholders as to the specific measures that will be used in the program and an inclusive process by which the program will be governed. IHIE is now working with these constituents to more fully develop the reports and to test their accuracy. This phase of the Quality Health First program is expected to last through mid-2007.

"There's no question that the ability of a physician to deliver better quality health care depends on the kind of information they are receiving about their patients," said Dr. J. Marc Overhage, President and CEO of IHIE. "With the health care system so fragmented, this program will help provide a more comprehensive picture of the patient and their current health status so that physicians can appropriately chart a course of action that will create better outcomes."

After the accuracy of information is verified, participating health plans will reward physicians on specific patient improvement measurements rather than solely on the quantity of services they provide. However, physicians will not be held to a single performance standard, which skews the advantage towards physicians with a healthier patient population. Measurements used in the program will represent a consensus of judgment among physicians, health plans, employers and other stakeholders, all of which are represented by the program's inclusive governance structure.

"If we are to build a better performing health system, we need to improve the flow and transparency of information in the health care arena and we must reform our payment systems so that the interests of patients, employers and providers are in better alignment," said Dr. Gregory Larkin, Chairman of the Forum. "We believe that Quality Health First is an important step in this process."

Much of the existing infrastructure necessary for this innovative program is already in place in the Indianapolis-area through efforts like IHIE, the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the INPC. These entities enable this program to have immediate relevancy and provide the richest dataset possible. The sharing of claims data by the insurance companies provides an even more comprehensive patient record. Because of this, IHIE is able to assemble the kind of information that will help physicians deliver even better patient care. It is these kinds of unique partnerships that will enable communities to band together to improve the health of their population. The program will eventually expand to include primary care physicians located in other areas of the state and to specialty care groups.

"The Fairbanks Foundation has supported many of the health information technology efforts in the Indianapolis-area," said Fairbanks Foundation President Leonard J. Betley. "We believe access to information is the key to unlocking the potential of our healthcare system."

Quality Health First is expected to help reduce health care costs by reducing hospitalizations, complications and allowing for a better adherence to evidence-based medical practices.

"IHIE is widely recognized nationally as the trendsetter for medical information exchange," said David Lee, M.D. and vice president of health care management for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana. "That's why we're pleased to support this initiative and encourage other stakeholders to lend their support. Anthem believes that more extensive adoption of electronic medical records is essential to improving the quality, and ultimately, the cost of health care."

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) is 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

For information on the Employers Forum of Indiana, visit the Forum Page of www.hoi.com

Source: Business Wire

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