HealthInfoNet is excited to announce the release of its new “HINcontext” application. This SMART (Substitutable Medical Applications, Reusable Technologies) on FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) software was designed and developed in partnership with the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP), a regional Health Information Exchange (HIE) serving Maryland, the District of Columbia, and West Virginia, and will soon be deployed to the MaineHealth healthcare system.
Traditionally, users of HealthInfoNet’s Clinical Portal are required to log in to a separate online user interface outside of their existing clinical workflows to retrieve critical information from the statewide HIE about their patients. With the HINcontext application, users can now receive specific information concerning their patients’ medical histories from the HIE while working in context of their electronic health record (EHR) system.
The application has been flexibly designed to allow EHR systems to query HealthInfoNet’s HIE database from within existing provider workflows and to return and display the HIE data in a fashion most convenient for both the EHR technology and the provider viewing the information. The application is currently available to Epic, later this summer to Cerner, and in the future to Athena, Allscripts and other EHR sites.
HealthInfoNet’s HINcontext application is the outcome of many years of stakeholder feedback and marks an important milestone for HealthInfoNet in making comprehensive patient information easily available in EHR workflows to providers throughout the state. When successfully deployed, the application will give providers more time to spend with their patients, reduce administrative burdens and the potential for redundant testing, and contribute to improved patient safety.
Participating organizations interested in the HINcontext application can contact HealthInfoNet’s Customer Support team (customercare@hinfonet.org) to learn more. For more information about the application, see our user guide here and register for our upcoming webinar here.
