Electronic Health Reporter

ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Surescripts, the nation’s largest clinical health information network, will demonstrate two new solutions, Record Locator & Exchange and CompletEPA, at the upcoming HIMSS14 Annual Conference & Exhibition, February 23 to 27 in Orlando, Florida. A natural expansion of Surescripts’ key offerings, the Record Locator & Exchange query and response service and CompletEPA for medication prior authorization are designed to improve care outcomes, increase efficiency, and reduce healthcare costs by connecting care providers and enabling broad health information exchange within communities and across the country.

“Collaboration is crucial to achieving intelligent healthcare, where doctors and patients can make the most informed decisions and, in doing so, improve health outcomes and decrease costs,” said Harry Totonis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Surescripts. “As a leader in health information technology for more than 12 years, exchanging more than 6 billion transactions each year, Surescripts offers the security, trust, range, and experience that are critical to consider when identifying a network partner for health information exchange.”

Query and response service provides secure access to meaningful patient information

Patients often have health records stored in multiple locations, including electronic health record (EHR) systems, hospitals and health systems, electronic document repositories or other health information exchanges (HIEs). Surescripts Record Locator & Exchange will leverage the nationwide network’s Master Patient Index of more than 210 million individuals to locate patient records. Once a record is located, the service supports electronic patient consent then facilitates the exchange of information with the requesting care provider’s EHR, adding significant value in a streamlined process. The Record Locator & Exchange service manages patient consent according to applicable state and federal laws.

“Connecting disparate information systems to share protected patient information allows for improved clinical decision support, care coordination, analysis of population health, as well as reduced costs associated with healthcare delivery,” said Jeff Miller, EVP and General Manager of Clinical Network Services at Surescripts. “While patient health records move from the file cabinet to the computer every day, the storing of information does not constitute meaningful use if it is not shared between providers.”

By identifying and locating existing documents using Surescripts Record Locator & Exchange, care providers receive comprehensive information about the patient with appropriate consent at the right time, in the right setting, and with the right context, improving care while saving time and money. According to an October 2013 study conducted by the American College of Emergency Physicians, having access to data from a health information exchange (HIE) improved the quality of emergency patient care for almost 90 percent of participants leading to a mean time savings of 105 minutes per patient and saving more than $1 million in patient charges over one year, averaging nearly $2,000 in savings per patient.

CompletEPA streamlines physician workflow and cuts healthcare costs

Today, the medication prior authorization process is an administrative burden that relies on an array of forms, faxes and phone calls for information collection, processing and review to determine prescription coverage. According to a recent white paper by IDC, 38 percent of documents used in healthcare today are paper-based, and 31 percent of those documents are then retyped for storage on a computer. Surescripts CompletEPA is the industry’s first – and only – end-to-end electronic prior authorization (ePA) solution integrated into a physician’s EHR workflow that enables real-time information exchange between providers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). CompletEPA leverages Surescripts eligibility and formulary data to proactively notify providers of prior authorization requirements during the prescription workflow.

“Surescripts continues to innovate by introducing the right technology and solutions to address the evolving needs of patients, providers, pharmacists, and PBMs,” said David Yakimischak, EVP and General Manager of Medication Network Services at Surescripts. “CompletEPA will not only improve workflow efficiency, it will also facilitate the comprehensive and meaningful exchange of critical patient information – saving time and money throughout our nation’s health system.”

This new type of electronic prior authorization aligns with the needs of the medical community, and has been piloted and tested by Surescripts with PBMs and EHR vendors utilizing recently established industry standards for ePA from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP).

Learn more during product demos and information sessions at HIMSS14

Surescripts Record Locator & Exchange will be featured in the Interoperability Showcase during HIMSS14 from February 24 through 26, which brings together vendors to collaborate and work towards meeting interoperability goals. This year, the Interoperability Showcase is combined with the Meaningful Use Experience to give visitors a full view of various solutions in relation to Meaningful Use and the HITECH Act through interactive tours and simulation areas. The Interoperability Showcase will be located in Hall F during HIMSS14.

Along with Record Locator & Exchange and CompletEPA, Surescripts will feature a number of Clinical and Medication Network Services products, including Basic Messaging, Immunization Services and Medication History for Hospitals & ER Departments at Surescripts’ booth #2918 in the exhibit hall at HIMSS14. For more information on Surescripts’ participation in HIMSS14, visit www.surescripts.com/HIMSS14.

About Surescripts

Surescripts operates a national clinical network that connects pharmacies, payers, pharmacy benefit managers, physicians, hospitals, integrated delivery networks, health information exchanges and health technology firms to enable the efficient and secure exchange of health information. Guided by the principles of neutrality, transparency, physician and patient choice, open standards, collaboration and privacy, Surescripts provides information for routine, recurring and emergency care. Together with our network participants, Surescripts is committed to saving lives, improving efficiency and reducing the cost of health care for all. For more information, go to www.surescripts.com and follow us at twitter.com/surescripts.