Vermont HIE adds telehealth program info to database
The Vermont Health Information Exchange is now making telemonitoring information available to its participants, enabling healthcare groups in the state to provide in-home telehealth services for patients with complex conditions such as respiratory disorders or heart disease.
A grant from Vermont Health Care Innovation Project helped link data from the telemonitoring services performed by the the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties, or VNA, and Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, with their electronic health records.
VNA and CVHHH provide the in-home telehealth services for patients with complex chronic conditions.The groups worked with Vermont Information Technology Leader to connect the EHRs to VHIE, the statewide health information exchange.
Patients enter data on touchscreen tablets at home, including daily measurement and recording of vital signs, which is then transmitted online, able to be evaluated and monitored by nurses. Providers can be alerted if a problem is seen.
Before integration, the data was only available within the telemonitoring system. Data requested from other providers were manually transferred, most commonly by fax. Now, data collected through the telemonitoring program is now immediately available to any provider connected to the VHIE.
"Having the telemonitoring data available electronically and in real time through the VHIE allows our home visiting staff and other providers such as physicians to have access to data when and where they need it to better inform patient care and outcomes," said Sandy Rousse, president and chief executive officer at Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, in a statement.
"For all of the benefits of telemonitoring, the data from the home monitors was locked in a system that was separate from our EHR," added Judy Peterson CEO of Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle County. "Now, any provider with whom we coordinate care for our patients can have access to this data, which may be crucial in making adjustments to their care plan or to their medications."
Vermont's HIE connects 14 hospitals throughout the state, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, 11 Federally Qualified Health Centers and 155 provider offices. Any provider can access patient data and medication history through the HIE with the patient's consent.
Twitter: @JessieFDavis
Email the writer: jessica.davis@himssmedia.com
