After an extensive RFP process, Healthix, one of the largest public health information exchanges in the United States, has selected the J2 Managed Terminology platform from J2 Interactive.
Healthix is the leading provider of patient information in the Greater New York Area. The HIE specializes in providing high-quality, timely data to thousands of physicians and providers throughout the region.
According to Healthix, the organization’s function is “to securely exchange patient data to improve the quality of care and to make healthcare services more efficient.” Ongoing advances in technology help to continually improve that function. In fact, Healthix is dedicated to continually enhancing and improving its service options.
Early to recognize that cloud-based terminology management has reached a maturity level that makes it ready for adoption, Healthix chose to implement the terminology platform provided by J2 Interactive and powered by HealthTerm. J2 is the U.S. partner of CareCom, the developer of HealthTerm.
HealthTerm enables seamless semantic interoperability with health information exchanges. This is accomplished through fast access of patient data using efficient application program interfaces.
The Value of HIE-Provided Clinical Data
J2 Managed Terminology will increase the value of the clinical data that Healthix provides to its participants by ensuring that key data elements within a patient’s medical history have been translated to use a common, standardized language, regardless of the data’s original source. Data elements include:
- Lab results
- Diagnoses
- Medications
- Allergies
Because of the ever-widening scope of longitudinal patient records, achieving this common language has posed a significant challenge to HIEs. The clinical data repositories at many HIEs continue to grow in volume and complexity.
Healthix’s Rationale For Adopting Managed Terminology
Healthix CEO Todd Rogow explained the decision to select J2 Managed Terminology by saying:
“We are committed to providing our clinicians and care managers with data quality that will assist them with patient care, care management, analytics, and research.
“Being able to speak a common clinical language across thousands of data sources should translate into a more meaningful application of historical clinical records for the large patient population we serve.”
HIE Data and Patient Consent
With a patient’s consent, Healthix enables the patient’s physicians and providers, no matter where they’re located in New York State, to have access to the patient’s medical record.
Managed Terminology does not alter the patient consent model. It provides more complete information about patients who have already consented.
Healthix’s Technology Partner Relationship
J2 Interactive is a longtime partner with Healthix, contributing to its dedication to continually enhancing and improving its service offerings.
Healthix was J2’s first HIE customer for interoperability services. For more than fourteen years, J2 has been helping Healthix to both simplify the work of New
J2 Interactive’s CEO Lou LaRocca said,
“We’re excited to be partnering with Healthix to enable this latest innovation in health data quality, which is ultimately going to benefit millions of New Yorkers.”
What’s Next For HIEs?
Now that HIEs such as New York’s Healthix, California’s Manifest MedEx, and Montana’s Big Sky Care Connect have paved the way with the adoption of Managed Terminology Services, other HIEs are now in a position to get feedback about the benefits.
To find out how Managed Terminology can increase value to your HIE’s members, please get in touch with one of our consultants:
