Informatics in the Massachusetts Healthcare System

¶ … Innovation at Baystate Health

Informatics and Technology Innovations at Baystate Health

Baystate Health is among the largest health systems in New England and the largest employer in Western Massachusetts ("About Baystate Health," 2014). The crown jewel is the Baystate Medical Center (BMC), which represents the only level 1 trauma center for the region and the western campus for Tufts University School of Medicine. Each year, close to 2,000 residents, fellows, medical students, and nursing students call BMC home, so it should come as no surprise that BMC and Baystate Health are among the top healthcare innovators for the region and nationally.

In 2013, the health informatics software company InterSystems announced Baystate Health will adopt Intersystems' HealthShare platform to provide region-wide health information sharing capabilities. This health information exchange (HIE) will be called the Pioneer Valley Health Information Exchange (PVIX). PVIX will be designed to allow any provider within the Baystate Health network to access and annotate a patient record, assuming the provider has permission to access the record. This "one patient, one record" format will be available to all hospitals, clinics, laboratories, insurers, and providers within the system. In addition, PVIX will be integrated with the state-wide HIE in Massachusetts, thereby providing a conduit through which electronic medical records (EMRs) can be transmitted to any provider within Massachusetts.

Intersystems (2013) has agreed to help develop applications allowing patients to engage in their own healthcare, thereby meeting federal electronic health records (EHR) Meaningful Use requirements. A wealth of medical information will be made available to patients, which will empower them to participate in the planning and pursuit of their personal and family health goals. The expected benefits of implementing PVIX and future informatics innovations include the realization of a continuum of care, improved patient outcomes, cost savings, and community engagement. The latter goal will help Baystate Health contribute in meaningful ways to the monitoring of the health of the community as a whole, thereby providing access to patient data that can empower public health officials to make informed decisions about the health needs of Western Massachusetts residents.

Baystate Health (2014) has a formal policy that adheres to patient privacy protections mandated by the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA). Protected health information (PHI) can only be obtained with the permission of the patient or anyone who has a valid healthcare power-of-attorney for the patient. Any request for PHI must identify the patient, authorized recipient, purpose of the request, and information requested, in addition to having an explicit expiration date. The same patient privacy protections would apply to the storage and transmission of EHRs.