Indiana Health Information Exchange Connects to Indiana State Department of Health Immunization Registry

Link supports better patient care and public health improvements

INDIANAPOLIS, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) has announced that it will connect to the Indiana State Department of Health's Children and Hoosiers Immunization Registry Program (CHIRP).   CHIRP is a secure, internet-based immunization registry operated by the Immunization Program of the State Health Department.

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This connection will provide secure, seamless integration between IHIE and CHIRP, eliminating a step for physicians and providing greater efficiencies for the State Health Department.  It will help physicians ensure immunizations for their patients are up-to-date, in a non-intrusive and convenient manner.

"The State of Indiana is pleased to support Hoosiers and our healthcare community so that patients receive the best care possible, while at the same time taking advantage of efficiencies that only information technology can provide," said Chris Mickens, Chief Technology and Compliance Officer for the Indiana State Department of Health.  "We are fortunate to have a robust healthcare technology infrastructure throughout the state, and this is just one example of how Indiana is leading the way to transform healthcare."

The IHIE/CHIRP connection supports physician and hospital efforts to reach goals established by federal government policies regarding the use of health information technology (health IT).  The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) of 2009 introduced incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for eligible healthcare providers (EPs)and eligible hospitals (EHs) to adopt and attain 'meaningful use' of health IT systems, in particular electronic health records (EHRs).

As part of Stage I of the HITECH Act's 'meaningful use' provisions, in order to qualify for these incentives, EPs and EHs must fulfill certain objectives.  One of these objectives is to electronically submit data to immunization registries.  Since IHIE has the capability to receive clinical results directly from EHRs, this integration aligns with the needs of EPs and EHs to fulfill these, and potentially other 'meaningful use' objectives, while at the same time supporting the highest level of patient care possible.

In addition, the CHIRP/IHIE link will benefit the over 1,700 physicians who are part of IHIE's quality, preventive care and chronic disease care effort, called the Quality Health First® Program.  The program helps physicians care for their patients by providing information so they can proactively manage the care they provide patients, ensuring they are receiving recommended tests and screenings.  Given the new IHIE/CHIRP link, immunizations could play a bigger role in this effort in the future.

IHIE and its partner, the Regenstrief Institute (Regenstrief) are working together on the CHIRP connection.  Regenstrief has a long history of working with the State Health Department through the state's Public Health Emergency Surveillance System, which monitors emergency department visit complaints in real-time so that disease outbreaks and other public health concerns are identified and resolved as soon as possible.  Over 100 emergency departments throughout the state currently participate in this effort.  

About the Indiana Health Information Exchange
Indiana Health Information Exchange, Inc. (IHIE) is a non-profit corporation formed in 2004 by the Regenstrief Institute, private hospitals, local and state health departments, BioCrossroads and other prominent organizations in Indiana. IHIE is the nation's largest health information exchange organization, delivering clinical information to providers securely and efficiently, along with providing information to assist providers as they care for patients needing preventive care and management of chronic diseases.  An IHIE-led collaboration (Central Indiana Beacon Community) is one of 17 national cooperatives to help advance healthcare quality and efficiency.  This collaboration will help communities in Indiana identify opportunities to measurably improve patient care.  To learn more, visit www.ihie.org.

About Regenstrief Institute, Inc.
The Regenstrief Institute, Inc., an internationally recognized informatics and healthcare research organization, is dedicated to the improvement of health through research that enhances the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care. Established in Indianapolis by philanthropist Sam Regenstrief in 1969 on the campus of the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Institute is supported by the Regenstrief Foundation and closely affiliated with the I.U. School of Medicine and the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County, Indiana. Regenstrief Institute research scientists form a highly respected cadre of health services researchers linked to one of the largest and most comprehensive medical informatics laboratories in the world. www.regenstrief.org .

SOURCE Indiana Health Information Exchange