Here's What's New at HealthInfoNet...
Each quarter, we round up everything that’s been happening at HealthInfoNet with an eye on what’s most relevant and useful for our participants’ end-user communities. Here’s a preview of our Fall 2022 announcements…
Did You Know?
Online & Translated Consent Forms Available
Did you know that HealthInfoNet has digital versions of its patient consent forms?
The digital versions of HealthInfoNet’s patient consent forms can be completed and submitted entirely online without the need to download, print, and then fax and/or mail the completed copies to HealthInfoNet’s offices. The digital versions of the forms are currently available only in the English language and can be found at the following web address: https://hinfonet.org/for-patients/#choices
Did you know that HealthInfoNet has French, Somali, and Spanish language translations available in the print versions of its patient consent forms?
The translations are currently available only in the print versions of HealthInfoNet’s patient consent forms; though future efforts will incorporate the languages into the digital versions as well. The translated forms in French, Somali, and Spanish languages are available for download at the following web address: https://hinfonet.org/for-patients/#choices
For more information about HealthInfoNet’s patient consent choices for participating in the statewide Health Information Exchange, visit our Communication Package at the following web address: https://hinfonetacademy.scrollhelp.site/communication-package/.
For additional questions, please contact our Clinical Education team at clinicaleducation@hinfonet.org.
New Report Published on Recent End User Survey
This fall, our Client Engagement and Clinical Education teams have been hard at work reviewing and distilling more than 400 responses received from participant end users as part of our recent Service Utilization & Workflow Survey. The purpose of this survey was to gain an updated understanding of how our participants’ end users are leveraging our health information services within their internal workflows as well as to surface areas for improvement in future service growth efforts.
In our new Service Utilization & Workflow Survey Report (2022), our team has compiled and analyzed the survey’s responses and presented the information into three main categories: (1) Aggregated Findings, (2) Identified Themes, and (3) Defined Actions. Click here to view the full report.
As a preview, the following actions were identified as important next steps to pursue by our teams as a result of the feedback received from end users in the survey:
- Participation Network: Continue to expand both in-state (e.g., providers participating in MaineCare’s value-based care programs, Area Agency on Aging organizations, etc.) and out-of-state (e.g., via the eHealth Exchange national data warehouse) HIE participation.
- Data Capture: Improve the quality (e.g., perform routine data validation exercises, encourage use of analytics and reporting functions, etc.) and quantity (e.g., establish new interface connections, collect Advanced Care Planning documentation, etc.) of existing HIE participants’ data sources.
- Service Enhancements: Enhance the design (e.g., seek out participant end users’ service feedback, develop service development roadmaps, etc.) and integration capabilities (e.g., work with participants to install Single-Sign-On versions of our services, improve the delegate workflow of the Prescription Monitoring Program integration, etc.) of key service features and functionality.
- Support Functions: Bolster participant engagement (e.g., ensure participants know of proper support functions, establish relationships with industry and cross-sector networks, etc.) and education (e.g., share more information on the technical and legal nuances of HIE participation, increase the frequency of education/training information communication, etc.) activities.
The Service Utilization & Workflow Survey was a great success, and our teams have learned lots from it as we’ve had a chance to dig into its details. Stay tuned in future newsletters for status updates on the actions defined as a result of this process, as well as for future survey opportunities. To learn more about the survey and our next steps, please contact our Client Engagement team at clientengagement@hinfonet.org.
For the last several months, our team has been working to better our expertise and experience with social health and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) information by working with the medical community to understand how such information stored in clinical data sets can be transmitted and leveraged within the statewide HIE to support providers’ strategies for improving health equity.
The objective of our efforts is twofold: (1) actively engage with and respond to the medical community’s pressing need for more comprehensive information encompassing the health, wellness, and wellbeing of the individuals they serve, and (2) become better prepared to support the state’s broader vision for a Community Health Information Exchange model.
To continue to build on and learn from these conversations, we will be hosting a convening series beginning in the new year that brings together key stakeholders from the state’s major health systems and federally qualified health centers. The goal of this series is to provide a forum to share knowledge, best practices, lessons learned, and emerging strategies and next steps for collecting, exchanging, and leveraging social health information within clinical workflows.
The convening series is open to stakeholders and participants alike. If you would like to learn more about our upcoming Social Health Data Action Plan Convening Series, including the opportunity to register for each of the virtual events, visit the following web address: https://hinfonet.org/current-strategic-focus/#social-health
Know Your HealthInfoNet Support Options
One common area of improvement that participant end users shared in our recent Service Utilization & Workflow Survey was for clearer guidance on available support options at HealthInfoNet.
To provide the most responsive and thorough communication back to our end users when they need it most, our team is broken into several dedicated sub-units based on topic area.
During standard business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm), participant end users can contact the following teams for assistance:
- For participation and contracting matters, contact our Client Engagement team at clientengagement@hinfonet.org
- For workflow, usage, and training questions, contact our Clinical Education team at clinicaleducation@hinfonet.org
- For user account creation, password resets, duplicate patient record issues, and other technical troubleshooting assistance, contact our Customer Care team at customercare@hinfonet.org
If questions, concerns, or issues arise outside of standard business hours, our Support Team is just an email away at support@hinfonet.org and will respond within minutes to your request to determine the appropriate course of action.
Lastly, if your support needs do not fit nicely into one of the above categories, you can always submit a more generic inquiry through our online contact form that can be found at the following web address: https://hinfonet.org/contact/
New HIE Connection Alerts
We’re always looking to connect new healthcare locations throughout the state (and beyond) to help our participant network gain as much information as possible about their patients’ healthcare activities. Keep an eye on our new participant connections to determine how to use our health information services for expanded data use cases.
More Data: Hometown Health Centers
As part of their participation in the Office of MaineCare Services’ Primary Care Plus (PCPlus) initiative, Hometown Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center with locations in Central Maine, is now sharing Vitals information for its patients.
More Data: Katahdin Valley Health Centers
As part of their participation in the Office of MaineCare Services’ PCPlus initiative, Katahdin Valley Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center with locations in Northern Maine, is now sharing Vitals information for its patients.
More Data: Nasson Health Care
As part of their participation in the Office of MaineCare Services’ PCPlus initiative, Nasson Health Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center with locations in York County, is now sharing Vitals information for its patients.
Viewing: Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians is now a viewing participant (i.e., non-data sharing participant). The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians is comprised of some 1,700 members, and their Health and Wellness Center is located in Houlton, Maine.
For questions about our new connections or to discuss additional connection opportunities within your organization, please contact our Client Engagement team.
HealthInfoNet Academy
Visit our online learning platform, HealthInfoNet Academy, to continue learning how to most effectively and efficiently leverage the HIE’s services within existing clinical workflows.
Clinical Education
When online resources just aren’t enough, our team of educators are there to help. When questions arise, reach out to receive 1v1 personal support at your convenience.
Registration Now Open for Social Health Data Action Plan Convening Series