Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services, or MiHIN, has partnered with Beyond Lucid Technologies, a healthcare data exchange and analytics company, as well as the Reading Emergency Unit and South Central-based Hillsdale Hospital.

The aim is to facilitate data exchange between REU and the hospital through MiHIN's secure network. Not only will ambulatory medical professionals be able to access a more complete view of the patient, but MiHIN will also route their continuity of care documentation to Hillsdale Hospital so providers have a full picture of the patient's condition before their arrival.

WHY IT MATTERS

Despite being an integral part of the healthcare delivery system, the fire and ambulance services that respond to health emergencies rarely exchange real-time data. When they do, it's typically in a format incompatible with electronic health records or health information exchanges, MiHIN explained in its announcement about the interoperability pilot on Tuesday.

But with data flowing, mobile health providers can improve decision-making and care outcomes. The hospitals, health systems and care centers they bring patients to and from can eliminate delays and smooth out sticking points in patient handoffs. 

It's a major leap in achieving healthcare interoperability, said Jeremiah Hodshire, president and CEO of Hillsdale Hospital, in a statement.

"This collaborative pilot project, facilitating real-time data exchange between EMS and hospitals, will simplify the process of patient handoff from EMS to ER, allowing us to work together as one team," he said.

That real-time data exchange in critical moments can save lives.

The partnership promises to improve access to patient data and minimize errors "associated with incomplete or inaccurate information," Dr. Tim Pletcher, MiHIN's executive director, said in the announcement.

When an REU ambulance is transporting a patient to Hillsdale Hospital, the service will transmit its electronic patient care record with the patient's clinical data – including vitals, history and social determinants of health – and BLT's Mediview Beacon platform will convert the data into a Continuity of Care Document and transmit it to MiHIN. Then, MiHIN will leverage its network to route the CCD to Hillsdale Hospital.

By putting MiHIN at the center of a data-sharing model, providers will know what mobile clinicians in the field do and better understand why they "belong at healthcare's table," Jonathon Feit, cofounder and chief executive of BLT, said in a statement.

"This isn’t about Fire or EMS, or public or private services."

"It is about continuity of patient care and getting everyone on the same page so that responders can deliver the most informed care possible."

"Over the years, [REU] has committed countless hours to managing patient data, often navigating the challenges of waiting for callbacks and faxing documents," Keith O’Neill, executive director of the mobile care unit, added.

In the second phase of the pilot, MiHIN will establish real-time data exchange between the patient and the ambulatory agency, enabling mobile clinicians to access medication and discharge reports from participating hospitals. MiHIN will also share the ambulatory CCD with additional members of patient care teams within its network. 

The HIE said it also plans to expand the pilot to include the Long Lake Township Fire-Rescue service in Grand Traverse County and others as part of its federally-funded collaboration with BLT. 

THE LARGER TREND

Healthcare does not leverage emergency medical response data enough, according to data analysts working in the space and presenting at HIMSS24.

Erica Matti, senior analyst at the University of Michigan's Center for Health and Research Transformation, and Joshua Legler, an EMS data consultant for the National Emergency Medical Services Information System's Technical Assistance Center, addressed the vital need for EMS to have healthcare data exchange in the field.

Matti noted that the center was piloting technical changes to the state's EMS records to facilitate exchange. 

"There's no other area of healthcare where this level of info is available at the community level, and it's a really relatively untapped source of health and social needs data, " she said.

ON THE RECORD

"Michigan is a complex prehospital and post-hospital medical transportation ecosystem, and the partners to this project sought to create an onramp for any mobile medical agency to enjoy the benefits of true interoperability across the state," said Feit in a statement.

"Ambulance and fire services are often the first point of contact for patients suffering a medical emergency," Pletcher added. "In these time-sensitive situations, expedient access to accurate patient health information is critical for making informed decisions and providing effective care."

Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.