The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has launched a health information exchange (HIE) for the state, working in collaboration with Melbourne, Fla.-based Harris Corporation, an HIE vendor, to do so. The HIE, named CareAccord, will aim to enhance communications among Oregon healthcare providers, reduce duplicate orders, smooth transitions in care and support fulfillment of meaningful use requirements, according to the OHA.
It was launched with direct messaging capabilities, which Harris says provides point-to-point messaging allowing for registered providers to exchange information, including attachments containing patient data, using any device with Internet access in real-time. The network, Harris says, is secure.
"CareAccord represents a win-win for both patients and providers," Carol Robinson, coordinator for health information technology at OHA, said in a statement. "Providers will have the capacity to share vital medical history with specialists, labs and emergency departments. Patients will benefit from primary care physicians and specialists who can now exchange medical information electronically prior to scheduled appointments, improving patient safety and expanding the time patients have with their providers."
OHA contracted with Harris after receiving federal funding to plan and implement statewide HIE services through the ONC State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program. In a competitive bidding process that involved seven HIE vendors, OHA says it selected Harris because of its expertise in building state HIEs and enterprise level systems for commercial and government customers, including the Florida HIE, Department of Veterans Affairs, ONC, and Health First.
