Ohio Health Information Partnership Reaches EHR Adoption Target

The Ohio Health Information Partnership (The Partnership) has announced that 6,000 primary care physicians have signed up for electronic health records (EHR) with the goal of achieving Meaningful Use. This total is higher than any other efforts in the nation.

The next step is the implementation of the statewide health information exchange (HIE), Clinisync. Fifty-six hospitals have signed on with Clinisync and one health plan, one national lab, nine physician groups and four patient care organizations have committed as well.

According to an organizational news release, “alongside the regional, grassroots approach that will lead to full statewide exchange, The Partnership is working with state leaders in public reporting, the expansion of patient-centered medical homes, behavioral health homes and easier transitions for people to long-term care, nursing homes and home health through HIE.”

As one of the founding organizations behind The Partnership, the OSMA remains actively involved in that organization’s efforts. OSMA Twelfth District Council Brian Bachelder, MD, is a family practitioner who serves on The Partnership’s board as does OSMA Executive Director Brent Mulgrew.

“A physician can go from giving good care to great care, just by organizing the patient’s information. The more your doctor knows about you, the better the care provided,” Dr. Bachelder said, in a news release from The Partnership. “Now, multiply that by hundreds when we link all of your care together through our statewide health information exchange, CliniSync. More information, giving better care in seconds – that’s powerful. You sure can’t do that on paper,” he said.

OSMA Executive Director Brent Mulgrew also applauded the efforts of The Partnership.

“The goal of health information technology (HIT) should be to help improve the way in which care is delivered. Since HIT requires significant financial and administrative commitments for physicians, the OSMA is pleased to work with our partners, including the Regional Extension Centers, to ease these burdens by providing support for physicians during the implementation and adoption process so that they can focus on delivering high-quality medical care. The fact that so many physicians in our state have signed up for this support shows the commitment that Ohio physicians have in utilizing new technologies to improve patient care and outcomes,” Mulgrew said in a news release.

Click here to read the full article from The Partnership or here for more information on this effort. The OSMA also has tools to assist practices in the implementation and adoption of EHR. Click here to learn more about the OSMA’s EHR Standards of Excellence (EHR SOE) Program.

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