How Long-Term Post-Acute Care Providers Can Use HIE

March 30th, 2022 | Published Under Health Information Exchange by Bob Mook


Webinar examines different scenarios for LTPAC professionals

Data from health information exchange (HIE) can be used to coordinate patient care and improve clinical decision-making by healthcare providers across the spectrum. During a March 23 webinar, Contexture’s Todd Fricke and Kirstin Smith explained how HIE specifically helps long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) providers.

The 42-minute presentation demonstrated how LTPAC professionals could use real-time Notifications and the PatientCare 360® web-based portal to access essential information about a patient’s history and ongoing medical needs.

Real-Life Examples
Citing realistic (and sometimes familiar) case histories, the webinar presenters showed how health IT could inform a LTPAC patient’s care during a critical care transition juncture.

One such case involved an active, elderly man who fractured his hip while walking his dog and was transported to a hospital. Smith told viewers how a home health nurse who regularly cares for the man could use HIE after the patient’s discharge from the hospital. Without access to HIE, hours can be spent making phone calls and tracking down information on patient status, lab results, medications and treatment plans.

“HIE really does give you the advantage not just from a clinical perspective but also from a business perspective as well,” said Fricke, Contexture’s vice president of network participant management and a former executive for a home healthcare company.

The Imperative of Technology
A recently released report from Home Health Care News, identified staffing issues and the introduction of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model as key factors in the adoption of technology in home health care.

LTPAC providers recognize that an interoperable health data environment that connects all providers is vital to the health system, but their information technology often lags behind the rest of the industry. This is because the sector did not benefit from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, which gave incentives to acute care providers.

Colorado organizations with referral relationships with Promoting Interoperability-eligible providers and hospitals may be eligible to receive funding through the Colorado Care Connections Program to connect with the HIE. Contact kirstin.smith@contexture.org for more details.

View the recorded webinar on Contexture’s YouTube channel. Also register for our upcoming live webinar, HIE Benefits for Pediatric Providers