MDNews.com-

Working with the Chattanooga Research Institute (CRI), Terenine Technology Solutions in Chattanooga, TN, is developing the Tennessee Valley’s capability to exchange electronic health records (EHRs) for both research and small practice meaningful use.

Terenine Technology Solutions will be providing all necessary technological services for the CRI, a new, not-for-profit biomedical drug discovery and research center committed to developing new medications through the analysis of existing medical and genetics research. The services that Terenine Technology Solutions will provide include hosting data, as well as enabling all the necessary connections for the establishment of a health information exchange (HIE) between the CRI and area laboratories, medical practices and hospitals.

“It’s an exciting time for us, as we are currently working with the CRI to explore the needs and capabilities of an HIE network that will allow physicians and health care facilities to share information with the CRI,” says Chip Fox, Director of Consulting at Terenine Technology Solutions. “Terenine Technology Solutions is also in the planning stage with local clinics to provide hosting services for their EHR systems and research registries to share with the CRI’s bioinformatics drug discovery program.”

Challenges in the Exchange
of EHRs

Two of the most challenging obstacles faced by those looking to develop an HIE are sustainability and the cost to build the infrastructure. These challenges
have slowed the adoption of HIE throughout the United States, and in the state of Tennessee, for example, only two of five existing HIEs are operational due to the necessary cost and infrastructure.

A recent assessment completed by the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and the DC RHIO — the regional health information organization of Washington, DC — found that HIE success relies heavily on five core components: value creation and sustainability, governance, technology, community engagement and public trust. At Terenine Technology Solutions, the infrastructure in place meets all technology, sustainability and governance requirements, while the CRI’s strong community and physician relations ensure a successful research opportunity during their proof of concept phase.

“Many HIEs are struggling with the cost of technology infrastructure,” says Fox. “At Terenine Technology Solutions, infrastructure has already been developed, and we have the necessary relationships in place to conduct the CRI’s proof of concept effectively and efficiently.

Terenine Technology Solutions’ backbone is a Tier III Design Certified Data Center, which means not only does it have the infrastructure in place to securely house data, but it also has back-up systems to prevent system failure, even in the event of a power outage or natural disaster. Physicians sharing information can rest assured that their patients’ information will remain confidential and readily accessible.

Benefiting Physicians
and Patients

In general, HIE helps increase patient safety and treatment effectiveness while lowering health care costs, as the sharing of information can help reduce the potential for adverse drug reactions and eliminate the possibility of performing multiple diagnostic tests. In the case of the exchange proof of concept being investigated by Terenine Technology Solutions and the CRI, the information shared will be utilized to aid the CRI’s drug discovery efforts, which will help enhance the treatment options available for certain conditions.

Eventually, physicians will also be able to share successful treatment protocols with other physicians in the area, allowing them to easily collaborate with one another.

“One clinic that we are working with in the Chattanooga area has more than 30,000 patients in its renal directory, which will provide the CRI with a great resource as they begin research,” says Fox. “Through implementation of certain protocols, the clinic has also been able to significantly improve its patient standard of care. The clinic is eager to work with us on our exchange effort so it can make available its registry analytics and protocols with other physicians throughout the country and state.

“In the United States, there is a push for physicians to transition to EHR and the use of HIEs, and this push has manifested itself through the availability of stimulus dollars if the transition occurs and physicians are sharing information by the year 2015. We are pleased to be working with the CRI to position our technology offerings in this important proof of concept, which will both serve the overall goals of lowering cost, enhancing efficiency and improving patient outcomes. For Terenine Technology Solutions to work with the CRI at this stage is very exciting, and we are excited to provide a technology base for its research.”