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CommonWell Adds Vendor to Boost Interoperability, Data Exchange
CommonWell has added a new health IT vendor to its patient data exchange network of 22,000 provider sites, furthering nationwide interoperability.
Health IT vendor Seqster has joined CommonWell Health Alliance to promote interoperability and patient data exchange.
The vendor’s clients will now be able to exchange health data with over 22,000 healthcare provider sites in CommonWell’s nationwide network. The health IT company completed certification in less than two months to become a CommonWell Service Adopter.
“Our members are essential to ensuring CommonWell fulfills its mission to enable scalable,trusted and reliable interoperability nationwide,” said Paul Wilder, executive director, CommonWell Health Alliance, in a press release. “We’re thrilled to partner with Seqster to empower clinicians, practitioners and individuals, helping to improve care coordination, the patient experience and health outcomes.”
With the July 1, 2021 deadline for provisions under the CMS and ONC Interoperability Rules per the 21st Century Cures Act compliance just around the corner, the ability to create and share patients’ personalized health records may be more crucial than ever.
Interoperability allows providers to share patient health data safely and securely across the care continuum, promoting care coordination for value-based care delivery.
Joining CommonWell’s nationwide network adds to the vendor’s current interoperability capabilities which allow clients to compile patient health data from EHR systems, DNA, fitness wearables, and remote monitoring devices through the company’s white-label Web & Mobile SDK.
“With real-time patient-centered data, faster diagnosis, prevention, and intervention should be realized by the providers and their care team,” said Ardy Arianpour, CEO and co-founder of Seqster. “This, in turn, can lead to better outcomes, improved quality of care and an enhanced patient journey, while at the same time helping reduce costs.”
“Seqster was founded on the principle of patient empowerment, a key element of any impactful interoperability strategy, by enabling access to and ownership of their 360° health data in real-time,” Arianpour continued. “By becoming a CommonWell Service Adopter, Seqster adds to its comprehensive health data interoperability platform to advance our mission to impact lives at scale.”
CommonWell has commercial and federal members alike. In 2020, the joint health information exchange (HIE) of the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense (DOD), and Homeland Security’s US Coast Guard (USCG) joined the CommonWell Health Alliance.
The connection added 15,000 additional hospitals and clinics to the federal HIE, promoting data exchange across the care continuum.
“The CommonWell connection means VA, DOD, and USCG providers can access more information about their patients to make the best care decisions,” William Tinston, director of the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization (FEHRM) program, said in a public statement at the time of the announcement.
CommonWell services provide seamless access to patient information, which saves providers time and helps deliver on key value-based care initiatives, VA said. The data also helps provide stronger clinical decision support.
"As a clinician who is using the joint HIE, the more patient information I have access to, the more I can understand the full picture of my patient's care and better meet their needs," said Neil Evans, MD, VA primary care physician and clinical leader with the FEHRM.
