Information Technology Coalition Makes Strides
Charleston, WV - A new initiative in June began working to introduce the implementation of health information technology to hospitals, physicians’ offices and rural clinics, according to one of its lead organizers.
The West Virginia eHealth Initiative (WVeHI) is a collaboration of doctors and hospitals and their professional associations, according John Wiesendanger, the Chief Executive Officer of the West Virginia Medical Institute (WVMI), the state’s federally designated Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO).
The collaboration was established in the spring to work with health care providers, health insurers, business and government to facilitate the use of health information technology, he said.
Representatives of more than a dozen organizations are part of the group, including the West Virginia State Medical Association, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, the West Virginia School of Medicine, the state Health Care Authority and Charleston Area Medical Center.
“The long-term objectives are twofold,” said Wiesendanger. “First we need to develop and encourage the adoption of standards that make our health information systems interoperable. Next, while ensuring patient privacy protections are in place, we would like for these systems to have the ability to share information.”
Besides looking at the possibilities of introducing electronic health records (EHRs), WVeHI is considering other technologies, such as e-prescribing and computerized physician order entry (CPOE), both of which are intended to reduce medication errors.
Wiesendnager said it would be ideal if patients could one day carry their health record on a memory card or similar device that allowed for accurate data transfer.
In addition to passing a resolution on health information technology, WVeHI has created a Web site at www.wvehi.org.