Delaware Health Information Network

DHIN to Offer Mobile Messaging This Summer

Consumers to Receive Mobile Alerts about Their Healthcare Information

Dover, DE — April 4, 2016 — Further strengthening the collaboration between patients and their health care providers, the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) will launch a mobile messaging system for consumers. Developed in partnership with mPulse Mobile, the two-way messaging solution will alert consumers via text message when medical results have been delivered to their health care teams and when their medical records have been accessed by third-party parties.

Please see the press release here: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/03/prweb13295920.htm

iSpecimen and DHIN Announce Novel Program to Support Medical Research

Union Hospital Signs Up as the First Program Participant

Lexington, MA and Dover, DE — October 21, 2015— iSpecimen, a trusted source of customized human biospecimen collections and the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN), the nation’s first operational statewide health information exchange (HIE), today announced a novel collaboration to support medical research. The joint program allows hospitals and labs in the DHIN network to easily repurpose remnant clinical specimens – samples that would otherwise be discarded once patient testing is complete – into medical research programs, while reducing their costs to participate in DHIN. The organizations also announced Union Hospital as the first DHIN member to participate in the joint program.

Through this program, healthcare information from participating DHIN members is de-identified and matched to corresponding remnant specimens at these provider sites. The specimens and their data are then searchable in real-time using iSpecimen’s unique technology. When matches are made, iSpecimen’s technology instructs laboratory personnel at participating provider sites to pick and ship the specimens to iSpecimen’s research customers instead of discarding them as they usually do once clinical testing is complete. Hospitals choosing to take part in the program make a critically important contribution to the acceleration of biomedical research and also benefit from reduced DHIN fees, which may be put back into hospital operations.

As patient-centricity and consumer-directed care have continued to increase in importance across the healthcare landscape, it is critical to note that the patient has a central role in this program. Only samples from patients who have expressly consented to participate are considered for an active research project. All samples from patients who have not provided consent are excluded and suppressed from consideration.

“The value of digitizing medical data extends beyond the obvious value of supporting direct patient care,” said Jan Lee, MD, CEO, DHIN. “With informed patient consent, digital data can also help match clinical specimens with very specific research criteria. DHIN is proud to play a role in supporting such efforts to find new breakthrough treatments and cures. We are delighted to have iSpecimen as a technology partner and to have Union Hospital as the first adopter of this innovative program.”

“Union Hospital is thrilled to kick off this initiative and begin to reap value that can be put back into care,” said Anne Lara, EdD, RN, CNE, CPHIMS, CIO, Union Hospital. “As a small community hospital, it’s great to know that we can make a significant impact in this way by helping researchers accelerate medical discoveries to help patients now and in the future.”

As the country’s first operational statewide HIE, DHIN has made a sizable impact on the quality, cost, and continuity of care in its region. DHIN serves all acute care hospitals, major laboratories, and radiology facilities in Delaware, along with all skilled nursing facilities and approaching 100% of ordering physicians. More than 14 million clinical results and reports are delivered through DHIN each year, with the number of unique patients exceeding 2.1 million, including residents from all 50 states. Its viability within the HIE landscape has been exemplary and DHIN is pioneering a model of innovation and sustainability for the HIE community. The organization saw this collaboration with iSpecimen as a unique way to leverage the HIE past the point-of-care and continue making a positive impact in medicine.

“Bringing our state-of-the-art technology to DHIN represents our first foray outside of a hospital, lab, or biobank,” explained Christopher Ianelli, MD, PhD, CEO, iSpecimen. “What’s really great is that by leveraging an HIE as the data aggregator, we’re making it easier for healthcare organizations to become part of the iSpecimen network by virtually eliminating their need to do any IT implementation. Requiring virtually no startup resources on the hospital or lab’s part, we can turn their specimen waste into valuable research material and make it visible to the scientific community.” 

Transformative Grant to Target Underserved Sectors

Transitions of Care A Focus for DHIN

 In September 2015, Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) received the exciting news that, after a rigorous application process, it was one of a dozen organizations nationwide selected to receive funding from the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology*. The funds, available beginning this fall, are being furnished to support the:

  1. Expansion of the adoption of health information exchange technology, tools and services
  2. Facilitation and enabling of “send,” “receive,” “find” and similar capabilities of health information across organizational, vendor and geographic boundaries
  3. Increase the integration of health information in interoperable health IT to support care processes and decision-making

“This ONC funding will be transformative; it will speed our always evolving efforts to build Delaware’s Community Health Record,” said Jan Lee, MD, DHIN CEO, “At its core, the funds will help us improve the critical sharing of healthcare data among previously unreached sectors of the population: the long-term post-acute care and behavioral health facilities.”

The two-year grant uses federal and matching funds and is performance-based. Specifically, DHIN will use the grant to:

  • Develop and promote better uses of technology in transitions of care to long-term post-acute care and behavioral health facilities
  • Expand the Electronic Notification System, alerting healthcare teams of patient admissions, discharges and transfers from DHIN participating hospitals
  • Automate the entry of continuity of care documentation into the Community Health Record across a wide population of DHIN-enrolled practices
  • Develop and market consumer-based tools to facilitate better access to their personal health information in the Community Health Record

By making the Community Health Record available across the continuum of care, DHIN continues its mission to help Delaware achieve the triple aim of enhancing the patient experience, reducing healthcare costs and improving healthcare. Look for more details about these exciting initiatives in the coming months.

*Department of Health and Human Services grant number 90IX0001/01-00

PRMC and DHIN Work Together to Remove State Line Barriers to Medical Records

DOVER, DE – May 6, 2015 – While technology knows no bounds, the same could not always be said for important medical test results. Until very recently, Delaware residents being treated on the Maryland Eastern Shore did not have the benefit of having medical test results electronically delivered to their Delaware physicians and updated in the state’s community health record, the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN.)

The recent addition of the Eastern Shore’s largest hospital network – Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) based in Salisbury, Maryland – to the system provides for an even more complete community health record for Delawareans.

“With respect to healthcare, the speed at which state lines are blurring continues to accelerate, and the addition of an institution as large as PRMC is momentous,” said Dr. Jan Lee, CEO of DHIN. “We see a time in the very near future when doctors across the country will have seamless and secure exchange of health information across a borderless system, regardless of where the patient lives, works or vacations. These are the first steps to making that level of clinical access a reality.”

When fully online later this year, laboratory, pathology and radiology test results as well as the transcription summaries of thousands of Delawareans who seek care at PRMC will be delivered and accessed through DHIN.

“The days of patients being asked to carry copies of their own records, or of medical practices needing to fax, scan or mail results is diminishing,” added Dr. Lee. “This is a very exciting moment for all of us. It is the deepest across-state-lines agreement we have developed to-date, and it will result in saved time and effort for medical professionals and better care for patients.”

In addition to the flow of information, PRMC doctors and medical practices are being trained on how to use DHIN so they can not only update but have access to previous test results conducted by other hospitals and facilities, dating as far back as 2007.

PRMC is the largest Maryland hospital to join DHIN, continuing the momentum begun in 2013 when Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, MD came aboard and expanding earlier this spring when Union Hospital came onboard. DHIN was the first statewide health information exchange to launch in the United States (May, 2007) and is considered among the nation’s most mature.

About DHIN

DHIN, the Delaware Health Information Network, is the first live, statewide health information network in the nation.  Launched in 2007, today it serves all of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and approaching 100% of the State’s medical providers.  More than 14,000,000 clinical results and reports are delivered through DHIN each year. Total unique patients represented in the system now exceed 2.1 million including patients from all 50 states. For more information about DHIN visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220.  Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@DHIN_hie).

About Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC)

Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) in Salisbury, Maryland offers the widest array of specialty and subspecialty services on the Delmarva Peninsula, and has been meeting the healthcare needs of Delmarva Peninsula residents since 1897. PRMC offers a full range of services, including neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, joint replacement, emergency/trauma care, wound care, comprehensive cancer care, pediatrics and outpatient services. PRMC offers access to clinical trials and the latest technologies, including robotic surgery and advanced disease detection and treatment options for safer care, faster recoveries and better outcomes, and has received more than 125 national awards, certifications and recognitions over the past six years for the safety and care it provides patients.

DHIN Welcomes Cecil County’s Union Hospital

Good Healthcare Knows No Borders:

Interstate Exchange of Health Information Benefits Patients 

Dover, DE — April 14, 2015 — Delaware residents who seek medical care across state lines at Elkton’s Union Hospital can rest a little easier, knowing both their Maryland and Delaware healthcare teams will have safe and secure access to the medical information they need to make timely, informed treatment decisions. The availability of this critical information through the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) supports the continuity of a patient’s care and can help prevent stressful, costly readmissions.

Union Hospital is now delivering medical results and reports on Delaware patients to Delaware’s community health record, which ensures safe and secure delivery of this information to healthcare providers. The exchange allows for the patient’s “home” healthcare team to have direct access to the results of any tests or procedures conducted by the care team at Union, helping to create a more complete health record on DHIN.

Sharing this information across state borders helps to reduce costs, save time and improve care by reducing the number of unnecessary and duplicative tests. The system also provides a robust platform for care teams to better coordinate care plans on their shared patients.

“The seamless communication achieved through partnerships like these is key to improving care and reducing healthcare costs,” said Jan Lee, MD, DHIN CEO. “Patients who do not receive timely post-treatment care are at an increased risk of a return visit to the hospital sooner rather than later.”

Immediate access to a patient’s medical history is invaluable, particularly in an emergency, said Kenneth Lewis, MD, JD, Union Hospital President & CEO. “Union Hospital’s collaboration with DHIN is an integral part of our ongoing commitment to provide safe, high-quality health and wellness services.”

Union Hospital is the second Maryland facility to join the DHIN, following the launch of Berlin-based Atlantic General Hospital in 2013.

Additionally, DHIN currently receives high-level data – admission, discharge and transfer summaries – for Delaware patients seen at any Maryland hospital from CRISP (the Chesapeake Regional Information System for Our Patients), DHIN’s health information exchange counterpart in Maryland. The same information for hospitals in the District of Columbia is coming soon.

About DHIN

DHIN, the Delaware Health Information Network, is the first live, statewide health information exchange in the nation. Launched in 2007, today, it serves all of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and approaching 100% of the state’s medical providers. More than 14,000,000 deliveries of clinical results and reports are made through DHIN each year. There are a total of 1.9 million unique patients with results on DHIN, including patients from all 50 states. DHIN is sharing real-time clinical information to improve patient outcomes, eliminate the duplication of service and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information about DHIN visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220.  Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@DHIN_hie).

About Union Hospital

Union Hospital is an award-winning, full-service community hospital located in Elkton, Maryland. Nationally recognized for clinical excellence in the treatment and prevention of disease, its 122-bed, not-for-profit facility is dedicated to providing superior, personalized, quality health care to its neighbors, families and friends. The Hospital’s mission is to enhance the health and well-being of residents in Cecil County and neighboring communities. Its services combine the latest technology with the warm, personal touch patients expect from a community hospital. Union Hospital has served the residents of Cecil County and the neighboring communities in Delaware and southern Pennsylvania since 1908. For more information, go to: www.uhcc.com.

The First State – First in Healthcare IT

Delaware Health Information Network Recognizes National Health IT Week

Dover, Delaware – September 18, 2014 – Health information technology improves the quality of healthcare delivery, increases patient safety, decreases medical errors and strengthens the interaction between patients and healthcare providers. To mark the important role health information technology plays in improving healthcare delivery in America, the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) takes great pride in celebrating National Health Information Technology Week.

In 2007 the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) became the first live, statewide health information network in the nation. More than 14 million clinical results and reports are delivered through the DHIN each year, with 100% of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and nearly all of Delaware’s doctors and medical practices participating.

DHIN makes it possible to deliver higher quality medical care more quickly, and at a lower cost, securely delivering patient information and test results from hospitals, laboratories and radiology facilities directly to doctors providing clinical care.

“National Health IT Week helps highlight DHIN’s commitment to ensure health information technology is integrated, interactive, interoperable and intelligent to provide the best patient outcomes”, said Randy Farmer, DHIN’s Chief Operating Officer. “The improved communication made possible through DHIN helps save time, money and lives.”

About DHIN

DHIN, the Delaware Health Information Network, is the first live, statewide health information network in the nation. Launched in 2007, today it serves all of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and approaching 100% of the State’s medical providers. More than 14,000,000 clinical results and reports are posted on DHIN each year. Total patient records in the system now exceed 1.9 million including patients from all 50 states. For more information about DHIN visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220.  Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@DHIN_hie) 

Delaware & Maryland Overcome State Boundaries to Improve Patient Care

Statewide heath information exchanges connect to share important hospital-related activity

Dover, DE – June 17, 2014 —  An important “first” is taking place in cyberspace between Delaware and Maryland that is expected to greatly benefit hospital patients in both states. The Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) and its health information exchange counterpart in Maryland, CRISP (the Chesapeake Regional Information System for Our Patients), have begun exchanging admission, discharge and transfer summaries on patients across state lines.

For Delaware residents who are patients at three hospital systems in Maryland—Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, the University of Maryland Medical System hospitals on the Eastern Shore and Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury—their personal physicians “back home” in Delaware can view the information from these significant hospital events in Maryland on DHIN, providing the opportunity for a faster response for follow-up care. The remaining 41 Maryland hospitals are expected to be added to the system in the coming months.

Notifications for Maryland residents who are admitted, discharged or transferred from any Delaware hospital are being delivered through the Maryland exchange and are available to their Maryland-based physicians. 

“We are thrilled to have the systems of both states exchanging this information,” said Dr. Jan Lee, chief executive officer of DHIN.  “This is an excellent example of how technology can help bring doctors closer to their patients even when an event happens outside the state’s borders.  During the last two years, we have been working with our colleagues at CRISP on this program, and it is an important first step in what will become a full state-state exchange of hospital event information that will ultimately benefit patients of both states.”

Providers and others with care coordination responsibility may not know when one of their patients is admitted to a hospital in an adjoining state or may find out well after the hospital event.  Incorporating this information in the community health record of each state will help promote post-hospital care coordination and help reduce readmissions.

“We know that many residents cross the Maryland-Delaware border to receive their healthcare, whether it’s to travel to a hospital for specialty care or because they are travelling on vacation,” said David Horrocks, president of CRISP.  “Sharing notifications of hospitalizations will help to ensure seamless care, regardless of where a hospital visit occurs.”

Soon this information will be channeled to the Encounter Notification System (ENS) that is offered by both states to their participating providers.  The alerts generated by ENS—which indicate in real-time that a patient has been admitted, discharged or transferred from a hospital— help to streamline the coordination of care among care management teams.

”Receiving near-immediate notice upon a patient’s discharge from a hospital, instead of waiting for a family member or friend to call, provides caregivers the information they need to follow-up most effectively,” said Dr. Lee.  “Patients who do not receive post-treatment care in a timely fashion often jeopardize a smooth recovery and experience an increased likelihood of a return visit to the hospital soon after the initial discharge. Seamless communication in transitions of care is a critical component to both improving care and reducing healthcare costs. “

About DHIN

DHIN, the Delaware Health Information Network, is the first live, statewide health information exchange in the nation.  Launched in 2007, today it serves all of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and approaching 100% of the State’s medical providers.  More than 14,000,000 deliveries of clinical results and reports are made through DHIN each year. There are a total of 1.7 million unique patients with results on DHIN including patients from all 50 states. DHIN is sharing real-time clinical information to improve patient outcomes, eliminate the duplication of service and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information about DHIN visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220.  Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@DHIN_hie).

Innovative System Alerts Doctors When Patients are Admitted, Transferred or Discharged from Hospitals

DHIN’s Encounter Notification System Provides Quick Information for Patient Follow-up

Dover, DE – May 12, 2014: Patients discharged from a hospital stay or the E.R. often require follow-up care by primary care physicians and specialists. However, all too frequently that notification does not happen in a timely fashion which may put a smooth recovery at risk and can increase the likelihood of a return visit to the hospital soon after the initial discharge. Seamless communication in transitions of care is a critical component to both improving care and reducing healthcare costs.

In an effort to impact both the cost and effectiveness of care, a new service from the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) can provide automatic, electronic notification of a hospital-based encounter to non-hospital based providers responsible for patient care.

DHIN’s Encounter Notification System (ENS) delivers real-time alerts of a patient being admitted, transferred or discharged from a DHIN participating hospital. The encrypted notifications go directly to the computer systems of interested parties (such as primary care practices, patient-centered medical homes, and managed care organizations) when patients under their care experience a hospital-based encounter.

“Receiving discharge information immediately, instead of waiting for a family member to call, allows us to follow up the same or next day so the patient can have a good transition back to home,” says Stephanie Cygan of BAYADA Home Health Care. “The ENS is letting us be more efficient with our resources as well. Previously, we would often find out that a patient has been admitted to a hospital when one of our nurses made a scheduled visit to their home.”

Recognizing the need for thorough continuation of treatment, Medicare recently established reimbursement funding codes to encourage quick follow-up of patients being discharged from hospitals.

“Post hospital visits entail more work than routine visits,” said Christine Horah, DO, of Abigail Family Medicine in Newark, DE. “It’s important for us to make contact within 24 hours, if possible. ENS gives us the opportunity to do that as well as review the status of tests and create a treatment plan for the patient. It results in better care and should reduce the number of hospital readmissions.”

DHIN is now offering the Encounter Notification System to physicians, managed care organizations and health insurance companies after successfully testing the system since October 2013. The alerts generated by ENS—which indicate in real-time that a patient has been admitted, discharged or transferred from a hospital—are expected to help streamline the coordination of care among care management teams.

“ENS is the next big extension of our service to care providers in Delaware,” said Dr. Jan Lee, DHIN CEO. “With all hospitals and nearly all laboratories and radiology practices providing information to our network, getting real-time notifications sent directly where they are needed is both essential to good patient care and expected of modern medical information systems. It is helping to improve care and it is saving time and valuable medical resources.”

About DHIN

DHIN, the Delaware Health Information Network, is the first live, statewide health information exchange in the nation. Launched in 2007, today it serves all of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and approaching 100% of the State’s medical providers. More than 14,000,000 clinical results and reports are delivered through DHIN each year. There are a total of 1.6 million unique patients with results on DHIN including patients from all 50 states. DHIN is sharing real-time clinical information to improve patient outcomes, eliminate the duplication of service and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information about DHIN visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220.  Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@DHIN_hie).

MSD News

Learn about the Practice Management Education Series MSD is offering, Individual Physician Medicare Data, Jeopardizing HIPAA Compliance and more:

MSD News April 2014

Risk Analysis Completed for the Delaware Health Information Network

WEST CHESTER, PA – Best Practice Partners (BPP), a leader in health information technology optimization, is pleased to announce it has completed its risk analysis and assessment of the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN).

The assessment, conducted at the request of DHIN’s management and board, examined the organization’s privacy and security environment using criteria from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology as well as Federal and State laws and regulations. It was determined that there were no major areas or issues that require corrective action.

“Although we were confident our network was (and remains) secure, we asked Best Practice Partners to conduct a thorough review to determine if adjustments could be made that would enhance the privacy and security of the information we store,” said Dr. Jan Lee, DHIN CEO. “The exercise prompted several constructive discussions regarding industry best practices and will lead to additional improvements in our approach to system security.”

DHIN is the nation’s oldest statewide health information network. The organization has grown to include 100% participation of acute care hospitals in the state, 100% of federally qualified health centers and skilled nursing facilities, and nearly all of Delaware physicians who treat patients. More than 14,000,000 deliveries of clinical results and reports are made on DHIN each year – and the total patient records in the system now exceed 1,600,000, including patients from all 50 states.

Best Practice Partners has a proven information security consulting practice with specific experience building successful information security programs in the healthcare industry that has strict regulatory requirements regarding protection of sensitive information. BPP also operates on a federated partnership model, drawing when necessary on the skills and expertise of outside individuals and organizations that represent Best Practices in their respective fields for the benefit of its clients.  For its work with the DHIN, Best Practice Partners partnered with IT security leader, Reclamere, Inc., of Tyrone, PA.

“Our philosophy is that information security is a business enabling function, reducing risk, lowering costs, and protecting the brand,” said Mark Stevens, Best Practice Partners Vice President, and former Executive Director of the Pennsylvania eHealth Initiative.  “This is particularly true for Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and their Business Associates,” Stevens continued.  “And as such, an enterprise approach to an information security program is essential to ensure alignment with business objectives and values.  Sound governance, the transparency of oversight, clearly articulated business-oriented policies, and culturally-aligned training all contribute to the staff behavior modification that implements security.”

Angie Singer Keating, CEO of Reclamere, Inc., BPP’s partner and the project’s lead onsite coordinator agreed, saying “We understand that not all businesses have the resources to implement costly technical solutions, and strive to identify practical, low cost solutions to meet security control requirements without becoming a barrier to organizational objectives.”  Keating, who has spent the past 10 years specializing in computer forensics, data recovery, data destruction, security incident response, information technology risk management, and system auditing, concluded, saying “With experience establishing information security programs, and a mindset to deliver solutions tailored to the healthcare model, we are well positioned to fulfill the information security needs of the DHIN and similar organizations.”

About BPP

Best Practice Partners is the partner of choice for the world’s leading pharmaceutical, provider, payer, and healthcare organizations, helping them better harness the power of their data through innovative training, consulting, communication, and IT optimization solutions.  For more information, please visit https://www.bestpracticepartners.net.

About DHIN

DHIN, the Delaware Health Information Network, is the first live, statewide health information network in the nation.  Launched in 2007, today it serves all of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and approaching 100% of the State’s medical providers.  More than 14,000,000 clinical results and reports are delivered through DHIN each year. There are a total of 1.6 million unique patients with results on DHIN including patients from all 50 states. DHIN is sharing real-time clinical information to improve patient outcomes, eliminate the duplication of service and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information about DHIN visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220.  Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@DHIN_hie).

Testimonials

“The information on DHIN is so helpful to our practice. We have patients come into the office that can’t remember where they had lab/radiology work done. Utilizing the DHIN system, we log onto DHIN, type in the patient’s name and we can see where the patient had reports done. It really does help us from having to call around and track down that information.”

– Debbie McGinnes, Nurse – Bijan Sorouri, MD, PA

Delaware Health Information Network - Empowering Data-Driven Decisions

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