EMS to HIE Innovation
Executive Summary
During Katrina, one of the primary lessons learned was that health professionals, including emergency medical services (EMS) providers, need access to patient health information to avoid medical errors, renew medication, and coordinate care. Providing clinical and non-clinical providers with access to health information exchange (HIE) data during a disaster or other large scale emergency has potentially high value.
Prompted by initial assessment of health information exchange in California, EMS planners, healthcare stakeholders in California, and the project team identified a need to share health information in order to increase quality health care, reduce costs, and improve health.
The project team completed the foundational work for the Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies (PULSE) use case in California. The work includes:
- Letters of Intent from participants
- Technical specifications (including refined cost estimates for the next phase of work)
- Identification of pilot site recommendations and a scope of work
- Identification of policy issues and recommendations for next steps
This project resulted in the development of a report that identifies the policy and technical specifications necessary for a single sign-on HIE system in California. The single sign-on system or PULSE will be used by providers, including EMS, and others who care for patients outside of the disaster area, allowing each HIE entity to maintain its own participants, but make patient data widely available to first responders through one portal without the need for a broad-based or technically complicated integration effort.
The next steps would be:
- Secure additional funding to begin to build the technical architecture of PULSE and connect at least two health information exchanges/health information organizations in California.
- Address the policy concerns outlined in the report.
- Secure additional funding to support local EMS agencies to connect to an HIE/Health Information Organization.
- Share lessons learned, project outcomes, and replicability across governmental and non-governmental audiences
During Katrina, one of the primary lessons learned was that health professionals, including emergency medical services (EMS) providers, need access to patient health information to avoid medical errors, renew medication, and coordinate care. Providing clinical and non-clinical providers with access to health information exchange (HIE) data during a disaster or other large scale emergency has potentially high value.
Prompted by initial assessment of health information exchange in California, EMS planners, healthcare stakeholders in California, and the project team identified a need to share health information in order to increase quality health care, reduce costs, and improve health.
The project team completed the foundational work for the Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies (PULSE) use case in California. The work includes:
- Letters of Intent from participants
- Technical specifications (including refined cost estimates for the next phase of work)
- Identification of pilot site recommendations and a scope of work
- Identification of policy issues and recommendations for next steps
This project resulted in the development of a report that identifies the policy and technical specifications necessary for a single sign-on HIE system in California. The single sign-on system or PULSE will be used by providers, including EMS, and others who care for patients outside of the disaster area, allowing each HIE entity to maintain its own participants, but make patient data widely available to first responders through one portal without the need for a broad-based or technically complicated integration effort.
The next steps would be:
- Secure additional funding to begin to build the technical architecture of PULSE and connect at least two health information exchanges/health information organizations in California.
- Address the policy concerns outlined in the report.
- Secure additional funding to support local EMS agencies to connect to an HIE/Health Information Organization.
- Share lessons learned, project outcomes, and replicability across governmental and non-governmental audiences
During Katrina, one of the primary lessons learned was that health professionals, including emergency medical services (EMS) providers, need access to patient health information to avoid medical errors, renew medication, and coordinate care. Providing clinical and non-clinical providers with access to health information exchange (HIE) data during a disaster or other large scale emergency has potentially high value.
Prompted by initial assessment of health information exchange in California, EMS planners, healthcare stakeholders in California, and the project team identified a need to share health information in order to increase quality health care, reduce costs, and improve health.
The project team completed the foundational work for the Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies (PULSE) use case in California. The work includes:
- Letters of Intent from participants
- Technical specifications (including refined cost estimates for the next phase of work)
- Identification of pilot site recommendations and a scope of work
- Identification of policy issues and recommendations for next steps
This project resulted in the development of a report that identifies the policy and technical specifications necessary for a single sign-on HIE system in California. The single sign-on system or PULSE will be used by providers, including EMS, and others who care for patients outside of the disaster area, allowing each HIE entity to maintain its own participants, but make patient data widely available to first responders through one portal without the need for a broad-based or technically complicated integration effort.
The next steps would be:
- Secure additional funding to begin to build the technical architecture of PULSE and connect at least two health information exchanges/health information organizations in California.
- Address the policy concerns outlined in the report.
- Secure additional funding to support local EMS agencies to connect to an HIE/Health Information Organization.
- Share lessons learned, project outcomes, and replicability across governmental and non-governmental audiences
A project supported by the: HHS Secretary's Ventures Fund
Team Members
Rachel Abbey, ONC
Kevin Horahan, ASPR
Lee Stevens, ONC
Milestones
July 2014: Project received support from the HHS Secretary's Ventures Fund
April 2015: Support from HHS Secretary's Ventures Fund ends
