Marketwire is abuzz with this press release (full release after the break):
IRVINE, CA, HEBRON, NE, and UKIAH, CA – February 23, 2010 – Mirth Corporation, the leader in commercial open source healthcare information technology, working with partners at regional Health Information Exchanges and Hospital Systems, announced a successful demonstration of “the Health Internet” — a network of networks through which patient data can be safely and rapidly exchanged to place critical information at clinician fingertips where and when it’s needed.
IRVINE, CA, HEBRON, NE, and UKIAH, CA – February 23, 2010 – Mirth Corporation, the leader in commercial open source healthcare information technology, working with partners at regional Health Information Exchanges and Hospital Systems, announced a successful demonstration of “the Health Internet” — a network of networks through which patient data can be safely and rapidly exchanged to place critical information at clinician fingertips where and when it’s needed.
By using Mirth’s Meaningful Use Exchange (Mirth MUx) — built on the foundation of the open source CONNECT software developed by the Federal Health Architecture program under the Office of the National Coordinator — California-based Redwood MedNet and Nebraska-based Thayer County Health Services securely bridged their respective Health Information Exchanges. They safely and successfully exchanged live patient records — the first such demonstration to take place between health information exchanges in the U.S. using the CONNECT software. The successful demonstration showed how patient laboratory information, medication history, and continuity of care documents (CCDs) can be made available in real-time to improve patient care and eliminate costly duplication of services such as laboratory tests.
The cross country health data demonstration began on January 29th when a patient went to an office visit at Thayer County Health Services. That office visit was documented by an encounter note listing current medications and a new laboratory test. Then, in the first week of February, the patient took a sightseeing vacation to visit the Redwood rain forest on the north coast of California. The patient scheduled an office visit on February 5th at Alliance Medical Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Healdsburg, California. During the patient visit, Redwood MedNet enabled the clinic staff at Alliance to download the patient medication history and lab test from the office visit the prior week at Thayer County Health Services by using the Mirth MUx CONNECT gateway. During the office visit in Healdsburg, the Alliance physician noted the patient’s prior lab test and medication history from Nebraska. On the basis of this data the physician decided that a different laboratory test was needed. After the office visit the patient walked next door to the laboratory at Healdsburg District Hospital for the new lab test. Within 45 minutes the electronic lab test result had been pushed from the hospital lab to Alliance Medical Center via Redwood MedNet, and the test result was also instantly available via the Mirth MUx CONNECT gateway to the patient’s primary care provider in Nebraska.
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Mark Street, D.C., RHCE
Chief Technology Officer
Alliance Medical Center
(707) 433-5494