Health It Vendor Taps Carequality Framework, Patient Data Sharing

Health IT vendor MedAllies has announced it has joined the Carequality interoperability framework, becoming a Carequality implementer to enable patient data sharing for better interoperability and care coordination. 

As a Carequality Implementer, MedAllies and its partners will receive access to patient information and electronically query records on demand from over 600,000 providers and 4,200 hospitals connected to the framework.

The health IT vendor and its participating clients will not have to go through the Carequality technical certification process to exchange clinical summaries with any other Carequality Connection.

“This is an important time for interoperability and seamless information exchange to care for a diverse population of patients,” Alan Swenson, executive director of Carequality, said in the announcement. “MedAllies becoming an implementer facilitates patient care to deliver health information to where and when it is needed to inform better care decisions. The benefit of MedAllies’ extensive experience operating interoperable nationwide networks adds significant value to our growing community of Carequality Connections.”

The Carequality covers most providers nationwide, allowing networks to retrieve data with one HIPAA-compliant business agreement. Through the framework, health IT partners can access existing networks for care coordination and individual data sharing across providers, consumers, payers, government agencies, and public health agencies with a set of MedAllies APIs.

 Through the Carequality Framework, connectors can enhance interoperability and patient data exchange, allowing providers to deliver patient-centered care. Earlier in the year, home infusion therapy provider Option Care Health partnered with health IT vendor WellSky to launch CommonWell Health Alliance services, enabling greater interoperability for better care coordination. 

Option Care Health became one of the first WellSky clients to go live with the CommonWell network and its bridge to the Carequality framework, the report stated. In 2018, CommonWell Health Alliance implemented the Carequality Framework to provide health information exchange services to CommonWell members.

Through the interface, Option Care Health staff will be able to enroll patients into the CommonWell network and find and contribute patient health information to coordinate care across providers. 

“By partnering with WellSky to utilize CommonWell services, our referral partners will have greater transparency into the execution of their patients’ care plans, improving care coordination and outcomes,” John C. Rademacher, president and chief executive officer of Option Care Health, said in a press release.  

“We’re excited to help lead the market in promoting interoperability across healthcare platforms. With enhanced data exchange capabilities, we’ll see improved efficiency for our staff, allowing them to focus on what really matters — providing high-quality care to our patients,” Rademacher continued.