First-of-its-kind technology alerts patient designees of loved ones’ healthcare events in real time
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., and PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 2, 2018 — InterSystems, a global leader in information technology platforms for health, business, and government applications, today announced a new functionality from Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI), a nonprofit collaboration of healthcare leaders, that enables the delivery of Designee Alerts to all residents across the state of Rhode Island. The first-of-its-kind technology alerts healthcare proxies, or “designees,” of their loved one’s medical events to improve communications, reduce care gaps and streamline the medical decision making process.
Every hospital in Rhode Island is connected by CurrentCare, RIQI’s statewide health information exchange (HIE) based on InterSystems HealthShare ® platform. This connected health network enables RIQI to leverage the shared provider alert functionality to share real-time care updates with a patient’s chosen designee via email or text message.
Alerting a designee of changes in a patient’s health status has remained one of the most significant care gaps for providers and care facilities. Through Designee Alerts, patients’ designees are now alerted as soon as a medical event occurs, including if a patient is transferred, admitted, or discharged from a facility. As soon as the updated information is entered into the electronic health record (EHR), an immediate notification is delivered via CurrentCare to ensure the caregiver is fully informed on the patient's new medical status.
For example, a designee could be alerted if a patient goes to the hospital from an overdose of opioids — a scenario RIQI officials say is a primary use case for Designee Alerts.
“There has never been a precedent for providing this type of service to patients before. Not only is this a significant opportunity for patients in Rhode Island, but it holds great potential for patients across the country,” said Scott Young, senior director product strategy and growth at RIQI. “Designee Alerts positively impact both the patient as well as their personal community by decreasing confusion through improved communications. Particularly for patients with comorbidities or involved with end of life care, these alerts can be a game changer for their loved ones.”
In 2015, RIQI was awarded funding through a cooperative agreement program with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to provide individuals with standards-based exchange tools and services to easily and securely access, download, and transmit their health information. Not only was CurrentCare for Me launched and adopted by 5,400 individuals since its inception, the ONC funding and program support enabled RIQI to develop the Designee Alerts service. This service allows individual patients to designate a family member or caregiver to share access to their health records and to receive a text or email alert, in near-real time, if that individual gets admitted or discharged from any acute care hospital or emergency department (ED) in the state.
“We are pleased to see that some of the Advance Interoperable Health Information Exchange Program’s efforts have helped build the needed foundations to support healthcare providers and patients to better use healthcare information in their decision making and care delivery processes,” said Larry Jessup, Acting Director at the ONC Office of Programs and Engagement.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of working in healthcare IT is seeing how your technology can impact patient lives for the better. That’s exactly what we’re seeing from CurrentCare for Me and its Designee Alerts,” said Don Woodlock, VP of HealthShare at InterSystems. “We understand the power of putting the right information in the right hands at the right time when it comes to patient care delivery. With Designee Alerts, RIQI is delivering timely communications that matter most to everyone involved, and we’re proud to have HealthShare be the backbone to that revolutionary capability.”
Both RIQI and InterSystems will be at the annual HIMSS18 conference in Las Vegas, NV, from March 5 - 9, 2018 to discuss this partnership expansion in greater detail. For more information, please visit InterSystems booth #4444.
About InterSystems
InterSystems is the engine behind the world’s most important applications. In health care, finance, government, and other sectors where lives and livelihoods are at stake, InterSystems is the power behind what mattersTM. Founded in 1978, InterSystems is a privately held company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA), with offices worldwide, and its software products are used daily by millions of people in more than 80 countries. For more information, visit InterSystems.com.
About Rhode Island Quality Institute
Founded in 2001, the Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI) is a collaboration of leaders in the Rhode Island community who share the intent to substantively improve the healthcare system in the state. The collaboration includes CEOs of hospitals, health insurers, and businesses, along with leaders of consumer groups, academia, and government. RIQI’s mission is to significantly improve the quality, safety, and value of healthcare in Rhode Island. RIQI is the Governor-designated sole Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) for Rhode Island, chosen to coordinate the statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE). As the RHIO, RIQI is charged with bringing together health care stakeholders within the state and governing HIE among them for the purpose of improving health outcomes in the community. For more information, visit www.RIQI.org.
