CommonWell Health Alliance to open access to patient data
Eight EHR and patient portal developers in the CommonWell Health Alliance will enable patients at their provider clients to access their health data, allowing them to self-enroll in the network, link their health records at different care providers and view their data across the network.
CommonWell officials say that ability to self-link EHRs will let patients play a role broadening the interoperability group’s reach, helping connect providers across the care continuum and enabling fast, convenient and secure access to health data.
CommonWell members MediPortal and Integrated Data Services have committed to launch these new services via their patient portal tools by the end of the year. Aprima Medical Software, athenahealth, Cerner, Evident, Modernizing Medicine and McKesson's RelayHealth division have committed to embedding the services into their own portals.
[Also: CommonWell Health Alliance, NATE join forces for security and interoperability]
"Far too often individuals and the people who care for them are stymied by the onerous task of accessing their health data," said Jitin Asnaani, executive director of CommonWell Health Alliance. "CommonWell and its members are dedicated to helping break down the barriers that make it difficult for patients to access that information."
As of this month, more than 8,000 sites have committed to using CommonWell services. More than 4,700 hospital, ambulatory and post-acute provider sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are live on CommonWell services.
"In a world where the care delivery system is shifting to value-based care, patients are increasingly being asked to be discretionary consumers, and data access is the key to empowering the patient," said Anand Prabhu, CEO of MediPortal. "CommonWell is the only multi-vendor network that not only enables interoperability, but most importantly, enables the data to truly follow the patient wherever he or she goes for care."
Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
