Study Published in Applied Clinical Informatics Based on Kansas Health Information Network Data

TOPEKA, Kan., Sept. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Clinical Informatics recently published "Using Clinical Data Standards to Measure Quality: A New Approach," a peer-reviewed article based on a study utilizing data from the Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN), one of the largest health information exchanges in the nation with over 10,000 providers and almost 6 million patients.

The study identifies and addresses challenges that affect the use of interoperability standards to measure quality performance by a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR). KHIN's CMS-approved Doctors Quality Reporting Network is a QCDR and offered as part of KHIN.

Co-authored by Laura McCrary, KHIN executive director, Diameter Health's John D'Amore, Chun Li, Jonathan Niloff, MD, Dean Sittig, Allison McCoy, and Adam Wright, the paper evaluates the use of clinical document interchange standards as the basis for quality measurement. Important measurement challenges for 17 National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) quality measures are examined using Diameter Health technology and KHIN data.

McCrary said, "This provides the first definitive evidence that quality measures can be calculated across the longitudinal patient data in a health information exchange. The ground-breaking research will provide the basis for moving away from provider-centric quality measures to patient-centric quality measures." She added, "It is time quality metrics evaluate the quality of care provided to patients across their entire care team."

Eric Rosow, CEO of Diameter Health said, "The published study demonstrates the continuing thought leadership and collaboration of our team members, advisors and clients in expanding the horizon of interoperable clinical data standards. While this work is an outstanding academic achievement, it will also have a practical impact on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare."

The immediate beneficiaries of improved data quality are health information exchanges and their members who are able to harmonize data from multiple sources to support analytic initiatives, and payers who can use the NCQA certified data as standard, supplemental data for HEDIS and STAR reporting. Individual patients will benefit as well as better data quality improves patient care.

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Using Clinical Data Standards to Measure Quality: A New Approach

SOURCE KHIN