What is the Georgia Health Information Network (GaHIN)?
GaHIN is a non-profit organization dedicated to the use and exchange of electronic
health information to foster a healthier Georgia – improve patient-centered healthcare,
increase efficiency and promote the health status of the entire state population.
The Georgia Health Information Network is part of a public-private collaborative of
healthcare stakeholders from around the state including the Georgia Department of
Community Health (DCH) and the Georgia Health Information Technology Extension
Center (GA-HITEC). These organizations and many others work together to establish
the statewide health information exchange technology infrastructure to electronically
connect healthcare providers all across Georgia.
What is the purpose of the Georgia Health Information Network?
GaHIN’s purpose is to close the patient information gap across all care settings by
electronically connecting disparate systems and data sources to support improved
quality of care, better health outcomes, and reductions in cost.
What does GaHIN do?
GaHIN is responsible for operating the statewide health information network for Georgia,
including connecting healthcare organizations to what is sometimes referred to as the
“Network ” or “HIE Network”. GaHIN supports the secure exchange of patient health
information between authorized providers.
Overall GaHIN services:
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Building and maintenance of the statewide health information network that
ensures effective and secure data transfer to participating health care providers
Network implementation - building technology interfaces that connect providers
Training - training medical staff how to use the Network, integrate Network data
access within workflow and how to protect patient privacy
Help desk services - assisting Members with technical and non-technical
questions
Maintaining a common set of policies and procedures that apply to all
participants and govern appropriate use of patient health information
Community education about Health IT and health information exchange
GaHIN supports many healthcare providers:
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Physicians
Mid-level Practitioners (Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse
Midwives)
Doctors of Dentistry, Optometry and Podiatry
Hospitals
Safety Net Clinics
Behavioral & Mental Health Providers
County/State Departments of Public Health
Long-term Care
Home Health
Hospice
Labs
Imaging Centers
Urgent Care Clinics
GaHIN outreach teams are actively working with these stakeholders to create
awareness of GaHIN, its products, and the value of health information exchange
between providers.
What is a Health Information Exchange?
A health information exchange, or HIE, is the technology that supports the flow of health
information between physician practices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, labs,
radiology centers, and other health care institutions. HIE allows delivery of the right
health information to the right place at the right time, providing safer, more timely,
efficient, patient-centered care. HIE can also help streamline your required reporting to
public health departments and provide access to information reported out by public
health departments and other reporting agencies.
What is GaHIN’s community approach to HIE?
GaHIN connects you to other healthcare providers in your community and across the
state of Georgia. Participation in the Network gives you immediate access to send
and/or receive data from any other provider who also participates in the Network.
GaHIN takes a community approach to health information exchange in Georgia –
working closely with healthcare leaders across Georgia to connect health system and
community-based HIEs, vendors, and other healthcare organizations to the Network –
meeting each community's unique health care goals..
Through broad community participation GaHIN continuously collaborates with all
healthcare stakeholders to make dramatic improvements to healthcare quality and
population health, while simultaneously reducing costs. GaHIN is currently planning to
connect several regional and health system-based HIEs for statewide interoperability.
What is the difference between a regional Health Information
Exchange (HIE) and the GaHIN model?
Georgia is fortunate to have a number of health system and community-based regional
health information exchanges in the state, so rather than replicate these efforts, GaHIN
employs a network of networks model.
GaHIN is currently connecting these
organizations in order for them to seamlessly share patient information and improve care
coordination. The GaHIN uses the Network technology to make available a set of core
and value-added services to providers benefiting the Georgia healthcare ecosystem and
establishing widespread, robust interoperability across Georgia. The network model
also keeps GaHIN operations manageable and costs low, thus not having to pass cost
on to the provider community.
What is the technology infrastructure supporting the Georgia
Health Information Network?
Truven Health Analytics HIE Advantage Suite Technology. GaHIN is leveraging
technology from Truven Health Analytics for Georgia’s Health Information Network.
Truven was selected after a 12-month review process in accordance with state
procurement laws to obtain in a cost-effective and responsive manner the services
required by the state to better serve Georgia members as subject to DOAS authority
pursuant to the State Purchasing Act (O.C.G.A. Section 50-5-50 et seq). This process
included subject matter experts representing healthcare, technology, business from
across the state. Truven was chosen for its flexible technology platform, its ability to
adapt to federal legislation affecting health information technology and its clear
commitment to ensuring the success of health information exchanges in Georgia and
other states.
GaHIN MEMBERSHIP
Who is eligible to join GaHIN and how does my healthcare
organization connect to the Network?
Any credentialed provider in Georgia can access the Georgia Health Information
Network – in fact it is encouraged that every provider in Georgia have access to the
Network either directly or through a Network Member such as a large health system, an
EHR vendor, or regional health information exchange.
Answer the question below to determine your Network connection options.
Is your organization a large health system or hospital?
If YES, your organization likely qualifies to be a GaHIN Member of the Georgia Health
Information Network with privileges to directly connect to the Network. Please contact
Denise Hines at [email protected] to get more information about connecting directly to
the Georgia Health Information Network.
If NO, your organization will likely be a GaHIN Member Affiliate and access the
Network via one of 3 ways:
1. Through your EHR vendor: Check with your vendor to find out if they offer a
connection to the Georgia Health Information Network through their electronic health
record product. If they don’t offer a Network connection, have them contact us to
learn how easy it is to deliver Network access to their customers.
2. Through a regional Health Information Exchange (HIE): Contact one of the
regional health information exchange listed below to get connected to GaHIN. You
will contract with the regional HIE of your choice to connect your EHR system to their
system in order to access Network products. If you don’t have an EHR system, you
can still connect to the Network through the system offered by the regional HIE.
Note: Not all HIEs in Georgia offer GaHIN products or access to the statewide Network.
When your healthcare organization or practice decides to connect to a regional HIE, be
sure to select a “networked” HIE.
Only the regional HIEs listed below are authorized to offer access to the Georgia Health
Information Network and will provide expanded exchange products such as access to
Georgia Medicaid data (health and pharmacy), bi-directional Public Health
immunizations (GRITS) and have access to healthcare data sources from all across the
state of Georgia, and much more.
Your local HIE is not listed? Tell them to contact us to learn more about connecting to
the Georgia Health Information Network and offering our products and services to their
community providers.
3. Georgia Medicaid provider: If you are a Georgia Medicaid provider you can view
your patient’s health information within the Georgia MMIS Web Portal. Note: This
feature is coming soon.
What type of organization can become a GaHIN Member?
A GaHIN Member is a healthcare organization that connects directly to the Network.
GaHIN Members are often large integrated healthcare or hospital systems, regional
HIEs, state agencies, payers, or other wellness partners. Answer the question above to
determine whether you qualify as a Member or a Member Affiliate.
What is a GaHIN Member Affiliate?
A GaHIN Member Affiliate is a healthcare organization that connects to the Network via
a GaHIN Member such as a regional HIE or large integrated hospital system.
What responsibilities does a Member have?
GaHIN members have permission to access, consume and make available data
transport services on the statewide health information network. Each member must
meet a set of established criteria, successfully completed the approval process, and sign
agreements to abide by GaHIN Privacy & Security Policy Framework. All members must
also ensure that their Member Affiliates and vendors with which they have contracts,
meet the requirements to carry out the GaHIN policies.
What’s the process to become a Member?
If your organization is interested in becoming a GaHIN Member, please contact Denise
Hines at [email protected] for more information. You will receive the GaHIN Getting
Connected Toolkit containing all of the information necessary to begin the Network
connection process.
Also, see the diagram below for the step-by-step process to become a GaHIN Member
and connect your healthcare organization to the Network.
What is in the Getting Connected Toolkit?
The GaHIN Getting Connected Toolkit consists of several documents necessary for a
healthcare organization to become a GaHIN Member and to connect to the Network.
The following documents are in the Getting Connected Toolkit:
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GaHIN Member Application
Member Agreement
GaHIN Subscription Agreement
GaHIN Policies
GaHIN Getting Connected Guide – a high-level guide describing the onboarding process and minimum connectivity business, technology and financial
requirements
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GaHIN Interoperability Services Guide – this document provides a technical
overview of the Georgia Health Information Network and the standards-based
specifications regarding connectivity to the GaHIN HIE Network. The guide is an
introduction to the technical services, implementation methodology and national
standards employed to develop GaHIN info a highly secure and standards-based
platform that will serve as the backbone for health information exchange in the
state of Georgia.
GaHIN On-boarding Decisions Document – a questionnaire developed to
guide the initial conversations that provide guidance around the type and breadth
of the interface between the Member and GaHIN.
Does my GaHIN Member Application need to be approved before
my organization can join the Network?
Yes, each organization must submit a fully completed GaHIN Member Application to
their GaHIN Account Manager and receive a written approval prior to connecting to the
Network.
The GaHIN Executive Committee shall review and approve, conditionally approve, or
disapprove each Member application. These reviews take place on a bi-weekly basis.
All application decisions are documented in correspondence to the potential Member
with recommendations for application enhancements, when necessary.
However, potential Member organizations may work with their Account Manager to begin
technical consultations while awaiting official GaHIN Member application approval.
How quickly can my organization become a GaHIN Member and
get connected to the Network?
Generally, the process to connect a healthcare organization to the Network takes
between 5-12 weeks. The actual length of time to connect will depend heavily upon the
priorities set by your healthcare organization and EHR vendor.
Does my organization need to sign any agreements to become a
GaHIN Member?
Yes, as part of the connection process, each healthcare organization must sign a
Member Agreement and Subscription Agreement. These agreements are part of the
GaHIN Getting Connected Toolkit.
What are the Member and Subscription Agreements?
The Member Agreement governs the usage of data across the network and defines the
allowed purposes of data exchange. GaHIN Members sign the Member Agreement with
Truven Health Analytics, the technology vendor for the Network.
The Subscription Agreement governs the services the member elects to utilize as well
as the payment for those services. GaHIN Members sign the Subscription Agreement
with the Georgia Health Information Network, Inc.
If I’m a Member, do my Member Affiliates sign the Member
Agreement also?
No, the Member Agreement governs the relationship between the Member and the
Network. Members are required to ensure that their Member Affiliates follow the
provisions included therein.
Is there a cost to become a GaHIN Member and access the
Network products?
The current subscription fees for GaHIN Members have been waived through 2016.
Do Member Affiliates have to pay for access to Network
products?
Possibly. Member Affiliates access GaHIN Network products through their vendor or a
regional HIE and those organizations may require their customers or affiliates to pay
subscription fees.
Who are Members of GaHIN?
Currently a dozen or more healthcare organizations are working with GaHIN to establish
connectivity to the Network and begin using the GaHIN product line, Georgia Connected
Care – covering an estimated 6.5 million patients, 20 hospitals, and over 4,000
physicians. We anticipate that our first set of Members will be fully connected later this
year.
What are the technical requirements to join GaHIN?
Technical connectivity requirements are defined in the Interoperability Services Guide
provided to each Member during the connection process.
Do GaHIN Members need to comply with their own policies in
addition to GaHIN’s policies?
Yes. Each GaHIN Member must have written policies and procedures in place that
govern its Member Affiliates participation in the Network.
Are GaHIN Members required to carry cyber liability insurance?
Yes. GaHIN Members are required to carry insurance in an amount sufficient to cover
their obligations under the Member Agreement. The suggested minimum insurance
coverage is as follows: Network Privacy and Security Coverage policy with minimum
limits of liability of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000) per occurrence and Three Million
Dollars ($3,000,000) in the annual aggregate. However, each GaHIN Member reserves
the right to (i) self-insure to meet the insurance coverage obligation, or (ii) retain
insurance coverage through another state governmental agency authorized to maintain
insurance coverage on behalf of the Participant.
Are Participants responsible for ensuring appropriate patient
consent?
Yes. GaHIN Members must obtain any authorization and consents from individuals that
may be required under Applicable Law prior to requesting or accessing Health Data via
the GaHIN Network for particular individuals. GaHIN Members must also cause its
Member Affiliates to do the same. Additionally, GaHIN Members and Member Affiliates
must obtain appropriate consent in accordance with Applicable Law from Individuals
prior to disclosing or re-disclosing Health Data through the Network.
GaHIN PRODUCTS & SERVICES
What is GaHIN Georgia Connected Care?
GaHIN Georgia Connected Care (also referred to as the Network products and services)
is a set of health information exchange products designed for hospitals, physicians and
other providers to securely access critical patient information at the point of care and
fostering greater provider-to-provider collaboration. The solution integrates patient
records and data from multiple sources, providing virtually real-time access to patient
information.
Overall features of Georgia Connected Care products:
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Basic core services for query-based exchange
Immunization updates, queries, and reporting
Syndromic surveillance reporting
Diagnostic test results
Claims and clinical information from multiple payers, including Georgia Medicaid
Alerts for admission, discharge and transfers
Infrastructure for population health management activities
Clinical vocabulary normalization
Nationwide network – access to providers in neighboring states and federal
agencies
Referral requests and secure messaging
We understand that when it comes to health information exchange, one size does not fit
all. GaHIN offers its Members and their Member affiliates Georgia Connected Care, a
comprehensive set of products individually available to meet each provider’s specific
needs. GaHIN Georgia Connected Care offers three incremental and complementary
products:
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GeorgiaDirect
QueryConnect
AdvancedConnect.
Providers can select the level of functionality they need now, and additional features as
their organization’s information exchange needs grow. With each solution, providers are
well positioned to comply with federal regulations and meet new standards such as
Meaningful Use, Accountable Care Organizations, Patient Centered Medical Homes and
more.
**Forth coming capability.
What are the GaHIN Georgia Connected Care products:
GeorgiaDirect, QueryConnect, and AdvancedConnect?
Georgia Connected Care; GeorgiaDirect is a secure messaging service giving
authorized providers the ability to transmit patient health data to other authorized
clinicians. This product offering replaces slower, less secure and less reliable forms of
patient data exchange such as faxes, unsecure e-mail and phone calls.
GeorgiaDirect is a stand-alone product but can but be integrated with an EHR.
Registration and implementation can take as little as 1 week. Visit www.gadirect.net
to register for GeorgiaDirect today.
Benefits
• GeorgiaDirect is available to any credentialed provider in Georgia and at no cost.
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Will be enhanced to meet future states of Meaningful Use in addition to Stage 1.
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GeorgiaDirect can bridge the communication gap allowing providers to use
secure email to send and receive discharge summaries, transition of care
documents, referrals, and more.
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Excellent means to enter health information exchange capabilities for those
providers without current health IT capabilities
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Perfect for providers with limited electronic health record capabilities to close the
loop on referrals or those providers currently using a paper-based system and
interested in moving to an electronic system to meet Meaningful Use
requirements.
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Also good for hospitals wanting to connect their affiliated ambulatory providers
that do not yet have electronic capabilities,
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For providers with advanced technology, it’s complementary to QueryConnect
and AdvancedConnect by allowing a more simplistic means of electronically
transporting information.
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Not recommended for large integrated health systems or providers with mature
EHR systems or seeking patient search functionality.
Georgia Connected Care; QueryConnect is comprised of several core services and
many product features.
QueryConnect: Query-Based Exchange Feature
The basic feature of QueryConnect is query-based exchange, which is the ability to
search for and view available clinical patient information from other participating
providers. This feature is available to be integrated with your electronic health record
systems.
Benefits
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Query-based exchange function of QueryConnect gives providers the ability to
follow their patients, wherever and whenever they seek care, in a private and
secure manner so that teams of doctors, nurses, and care managers can provide
coordinated and efficient care.
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Providers can make informed decisions about their patient's care by accessing a
more reliable and timely view of the patient’s health information.
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Supports the transition to fully electronic health information.
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Supports Meaningful Use Stage 2 reporting requirements.
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While consent is collected and managed by the provider, QueryConnect supports
the transmission of data in accordance with the patient’s consent decision.
QueryConnect: Query-Based Exchange Core Services Feature
Identity and Security Management
Patient Discovery/Matching
Patient, security and trust are the foundation of
exchanging patient health information. GaHIN
provides robust identity management and
security services to ensure that a trusted
environment exits.
This trust is achieved
through our user identification, authentication,
authorization, and role-based access schemes
so that only those who need access to
information have appropriate access.
Trying to assemble a patient’s health history
and virtual lifetime electronic health record
(VLER) is a daunting task for any provider to
do on their own. GaHIN provides a robust
patient discovery and patient matching
service. Each participant, either through a
direct connection to the Network, via regional
HIE or other organization, will submit
demographic information for their patients to
the Network. GaHIN will use all of this
information to create an index by which
providers can request information about their
patients from other providers or facilities
where that patient has received care.
Provider Directory
Consent Management
When coordinating care across multiple
settings, knowing who is on the care team and
getting information into the hands of the right
people in a timely manner is critical. The
Network
Provider
Directory
provides
assurance that those providers and facilities
that utilize the network are authorized to do so
and that all users can confidently exchange
information a trusted environment.
The GaHIN consent management service
allows network participants to communicate
patient consent status from within the
individual EHR systems, providing maximum
convenience for managing patient opt-in and
opt-out status. This enables each individual
provider or facility to manage patient consent
and provider participation decision rights
locally and supports the transmission of data
in accordance with the patient’s consent
decision.
Audit Logging Services
Outreach and Training Services
GaHIN provides logging and audit information
for provider access to Truven-hosted
repositories
and
requests
for
patient
information from other repositories connected
to the Network. These Audit Logging Services
adhere to the HIPAA and the CMS
HITECH/ARRA audit requirements.
Training on how to use all of the GaHIN
Georgia Connected Care services is
available to all Participants through several
methods – train the trainer, in-person
sessions
and
recorded
sessions.
Supplemental documentation will also be
available in the Resource Library on
GaHIN.org. This Resource Library allows for
online access to information about the
Network’s services and how to use them.
Help Desk support is also available.
QueryConnect: Georgia Medicaid Health and Pharmacy Data Feature
Access to historically relevant Medicaid claims data, including medical and pharmacy,
and prior authorizations.
This feature allows providers to have a complete view of
historical Medicaid member diagnosis and procedure information.
Benefits
• Historical Medicaid member health information fills the initial gap between care
settings while providers implement EHR technology. Provides an expanded view
of your Medicaid member patient community.
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Once connected, you can use your certified EHR or MMIS web portal to reach
beyond your exam room and local network to compile a patient’s complete health
record from a broad spectrum of healthcare settings and connected data sources
across Georgia.
QueryConnect: Georgia Public Health Immunizations (GRITS) Feature
QueryConnect presents providers with simple bi-directional exchange of immunization
information with the Public Health registry.
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Providers can query for the patient’s official immunization record from their
certified EHR.
Providers can submit immunizations to GRITS from their certified EHR.
Benefits
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By connecting to the Network, providers will be able to submit immunization
updates to GRITS in accordance with Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements.
GaHIN will provide any necessary HL7 translation.
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Reduces technical burden on providers – eliminates the need to install and
maintain the PHIN-MS application to support submissions to GRITS.
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Once connected, you can report immunization updates and pull immunization
records through a single connection and from within your certified EHR. The
GRITS connection is built into your connection to the Network and will be
included in the implementation plan for your Member organization.
QueryConnect: 24/7 Web-Based Clinical Portal Feature
Members and Member Affiliates accessing GaHIN can always access patient
information securely and efficiently from the web-based portal available 24/7.
Benefits
• The clinical portal allows providers that are away from their office or who do not
have an EHR to access clear, consistent and robust clinical records for their
patients.
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Member Affiliates who access the Network through a Member connection may
request access to the portal.
Georgia Connected Care; AdvancedConnect includes QueryConnect services and
delivers an additional set of robust health information exchange services. Some of the
services within AdvancedConnect are available to GaHIN Members only.
AdvancedConnect: Entity-owned Truven-hosted Data Repository
The entity-owned Truven hosted data repository allows the Member to collect clinical
information in a single place. Truven makes the hosted data-repositories available for all
Members as a value-added service.
Benefits
• This data repository takes the burden of managing responses to Network query
requests off of the Member's data center, lessening the burden on your
infrastructure and enhancing query response time.
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The Truven-hosted repository enables other Network services, including Care
Alerts for Members. Use of the Truven-hosted repository also positions the
Member for other future services.
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As a part of the technical implementation, Truven works with Members to deploy
required functionality, including the sharing of clinical data for queries. The
utilization of a Truven-hosted repository will seamlessly integrate with your local
system as a part of the standard connection development.
AdvancedConnect: Care Alerts for Admission, Discharge, and Transfer
Members in GaHIN will receive automated notifications of admissions, discharges or
transfers from and acute setting.
Benefits
• The Care Alert service notifies Members of Acute care events and supports
greater care coordination opportunities. This is especially important for ACO's,
PCMH's and highly fragmented markets.
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In order to receive Care Alerts, Members must utilize a Truven-hosted repository.
Once a connection is implemented, Member's can receive notifications via text or
email, or directly in their EHR. Forth coming capability.
AdvancedConnect: Public Health Reporting: Syndromic Surveillance
The Network connection allows providers to submit mandated reportable disease events
(Syndromic Surveillance) to Public Health from their certified EHR.
Benefits
• By connecting to the Network, providers will be able to submit Syndromic
Surveillance reports to SendSS in accordance with MU Stage 2 (Core or Menu)
requirements.
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The Network connection also eliminates technical burden on providers by
removing the need to install and maintain the PHIN-MS application to support
submissions to SendSS
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Once connected, you can submit Syndromic Surveillance reports from within
your certified EHR. The SendSS connection is built into your single connection to
the Network. Feature rollout in Q4 2013.
AdvancedConnect: Public Health Reporting: Electronic Lab Reporting
(ELR) Offloading
Lab test results that meet Georgia's Reportable Event criteria would be routed to the
ordering provider and to SendSS without intervention by the provider or the lab.
Benefits
• The ELR Offloading service at GaHIN reduces the burden on providers and labs
from maintaining:
• Detailed knowledge of the current reportable lab event criteria
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Multple interfaces to support both electronic lab result delivery and reporting to
SendSS
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Once connected, reportable lab results sent through the Network connection will
be automatically routed SendSS as a part of the ELR Offloading service. This will
be included as a part of the network connection. Feature rollout expected in
2014.
AdvancedConnect: Clinical Vocabulary Normalization
The Truven application supports many common clinical vocabulary translations,
including SNOMED, LOINC, CPT-4, and ICD-9 and -10, as well as other vocabularies
supported in the UMLS Metathesaurus. Information shared through the Network can be
normalized to support a common language for key data elements and messages.
Benefits
• The clinical vocabulary service provides translations into common vocabularies,
ensuring clear and consistent understanding of clinical data as it is shared across
the Network. This also removes the burden of deploying clinical vocabularies
locally.
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The vocabulary service is included in the development of the Network
connection; translations will occur during information transfer and may require
additional effort during technical implementation. Feature rollout in 2014.
AdvancedConnect: eHealth Exchange Service (Nationwide Network)
Members connecting to Network will have the ability to share information across Statelines with other HIE's.
Benefits
• Connection to eHealth Exchange Service allows greater care-coordination across
state lines, supporting the goals of Accountable Care, ACO's and PatientCentered Medical Homes (PCMHs). In addition, connection to eHealth Exchange
Service supports Meaningful Use Stage 2 reporting.
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Exchange of information with the eHealth Exchange Service through the Network
connection will occur from within the local EHR and will continue to rely on a
single connection. Feature rollout in Q1 2014.
When will GaHIN Georgia Connected Care products be
available?
GeorgiaDirect is available now. Visit www.gadirect.net to register for GeorgiaDirect
today. QueryConnect and AdvancedConnect will be available in Q3 with plans to
expand services over time.
Who can use Georgia Connected Care products?
Those healthcare organizations and professionals that are licensed, credentialed, vetted
healthcare providers in the State of Georgia can utilize Georgia Connected Care
products. Healthcare organizations and professionals must be Members or Member
Affiliates of the GaHIN Network.
Can I use QueryConnect and/or AdvancedConnect products
within my electronic health record?
Yes, you may access QueryConnect and/or AdvancedConnect within your electronic
health record in two (2) ways:
1. Access Georgia Connected Care: QueryConnect and AdvancedConnect
services via your Electronic Health Record (EHR) system
For Member-level health care providers using an EHR capable of interoperability, GaHIN
provides interface implementation and support services to deliver clinical messaging
straight into the EHR. QueryConnect can be integrated with your electronic health
record system for a streamlined workflow and includes all basic level core health
information exchange services, such as:
• Identity management
• Record locator services and master patient index for patient matching
• Provider directory.
Once connected, you can use your certified EHR to reach beyond your exam room and
local network to compile a patient’s complete health record from a broad spectrum of
healthcare settings and connected data sources – local, statewide and nationally.
Not planning to implement an EHR? Health care providers who choose not to implement
an EHR can participate fully in exchanging clinical data through GaHIN’s HIE Network by
using Clinical Portal, a Web-based software tool. Every GaHIN Member receives access
to the Clinical Portal free with their subscription, regardless of whether they are using an
EHR.
2. Trusted Application Integration
The QueryConnect clinical web-based portal can also be integrated within the EHR
system of a GaHIN Member,
Does GaHIN have a Clinical Portal?
QueryConnect Clinical Web-based Portal
Yes, for those Members and Member Affiliates who don’t have an EHR or who’s EHR
will not allow for Trusted Application Integration (TAI) to work they can utilize the
QueryConnect Clinical Web-based Portal to search for and review their patient’s health
information. This is often a popular choice for public health departments or providers
who do not intend on obtaining Meaningful Use funding.
What are the clinical messaging features of the Georgia Health
Information Network?
Health care providers using GaHIN will be able to send and receive the following clinical
information with other health care providers using the Network:
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Transcription notes (i.e., discharge summaries, H&Ps, operative reports and ED
reports)
Continuity of care documents (CCDs)
Immunization updates and queries
Consult reports
Referral requests
Secure messaging
Lab & pathology results
Radiology reports
ADT information
Public health alerts and notifications (planned)
Lab & pathology ordering (planned)
Radiology ordering (planned)
Clinical messages can be integrated with your electronic health record (EHR) and/or
accessed via GaHIN’s Web-based Clinical portal.
What type of support or training does the GaHIN offer Members?
Implementation, Training and Help Desk
GaHIN offers full Network implementation support your organization. We are committed
to helping you maximize the benefits and value of participating in Network. GaHIN also
provides training on sending and receiving information and using the Network. All
Network users will also have access to GaHIN’s help desk so you are never without
support. Member Affiliates receive HIE or network support directly from their EHR
vendor and/or their HIE support desks.
How do GaHIN products benefit healthcare providers?
See each of the products described in this set of FAQs for an outline of detailed benefits.
Below is a list of overall benefits of the Georgia Connected Care product suite:
Overall benefits
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Facilitates statewide exchange of patient-centric health information, closing the
gap between different care settings in Georgia
Community-wide and statewide connectivity – streamlined access to patient
histories and hospital discharge summaries,
Gives providers patient-specific history, reporting and care plans
HIPAA-compliant data sharing with other health care providers
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Reduced administrative and overhead costs, including reduction in number of
costly connections providers need to send/receive clinical data
Provides the infrastructure to support vocabulary normalization, population health
management and care coordination activities
Supplies the data and transmission methods to meet Meaningful Use Stages 1 &
2
Automated physician referral and consult processes
Access to lab results and radiology reports
Helps you meet Meaningful Use requirements and qualify for Medicare or
Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments.
For more information, visit
http://gahin.org/resources/achieve-meaningful-use
Benefits for Hospitals
GaHIN is the secure, electronic process of sharing patients' clinical information with
physicians and other health care providers to improve quality of care and practice
efficiencies. GaHIN benefits hospitals in many ways including:
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Cost-efficient data exchange with physicians and other clinicians (stop building
costly point-to-point interfaces)
Streamlined access to patient history information, especially important for
emergency department clinicians
Reduced administrative and overhead costs
Reduced costs from faxing, mailing and couriering paper files
HIPAA-compliant data sharing with other health care providers
Improved quality and coordination of patient care
Georgia hospitals and health systems benefit from a health information exchange when
physicians and other health care providers in their region are connected to the Network.
Therefore, GaHIN is working to implement hospitals and a large numbers of physicians
and other health care providers community-by-community through existing and
upcoming regional HIEs. The communities that have issued a letter of Intent to connect
include: ArchHIE (Thomasville, Georgia), Chatham HealthLink (Savannah, Georgia),
GRAChIE (Augusta, Georgia), HealtheConnection (Gainesville, Georgia), and West
Georgia HIE (LaGrange, Georgia). For more information about each of these HIEs, visit
http://www.gahin.org/regional-area-hie.
GaHIN HIE Network products provide benefits to hospitals by…
• Providing immediate access to accurate patient information without having to
login to multiple systems.
• Allowing for better follow-up care after discharge and more seamless care
between inpatient and outpatient visits.
• Giving hospitals access to information to aid in the reduction of avoidable
readmissions and qualify for meaningful use stimulus payments as soon as
possible.
GaHIN HIE Network Offers:
• Community-wide and statewide connectivity
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Standards-based data and message transmission
Public health alerts, immunizations and reporting
Lab and radiology results delivery
Data exchange adhering to the highest privacy and security protocols
Lab and radiology ordering (planned)
Benefits for Ambulatory Physicians
Physician practices are often frustrated by spending too much time on the phone, or
reading through faxes and paperwork, and not enough time with patients. Practices can
provide better care and reduce the hassles of patient information management with
GaHIN products and services. GaHIN provides physician practices and other clinicians
the ability to electronically exchange patients' clinical information including:
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Lab results
Pathology results
Radiology reports
Orders
Patient care summaries
Transcriptions
Referrals
Consult reports
Hospital discharge summaries
Meds, allergies, problem lists
…when it's needed for patient care.
Data exchanged through the GaHIN HIE Network is shared safely and securely, meeting
or exceeding HIPAA standards.
Will GaHIN Georgia Connected Care offer more products and
services in the future?
Yes, GaHIN collaborates with a wide variety of healthcare stakeholders to continuously
deliver new products and services that Georgia providers need and want – here are just
a few of those items:
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Advanced care alerts and notifications
Comprehensive personal health records and integrated consumer health and
wellness tools
Health analytics and advanced population health management
Vendor-neutral medical imaging management platform
Lab, pathology, and radiology ordering and reports
Support for long-term care, behavioral health, and specialty pharmacy
Product development activities are underway exploring the possibility of enhancing
current products to include medication history, medication reconciliation and medical
images, among other data types.