HMS launches CONNEX at HIMSS 2010
The theme of HIMSS 2010 is definitely interoperability and meaningful use. I give it to HIMSS that they were on the interoperability train years ago and started the interoperability showcase. The difference this year is that every company is now taking about how they will work nice with others.
On Wednesday, we will do a complete wrap-up of the show first hand. Until, here is a nugget of information out today from our very own HMS here in Nashville. HMS announced today the launch of a new interoperability product for customers that will enable the exchange of clinical data between third party systems, health information exchanges, and public registries. The new product will assist clients in qualifying for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act HITECH stimulus funds. HMS ConnexSM is built around Mirth Corporation’s technology platform and customized for the HMS product suite. Mirth provides the leading open source solution for healthcare interoperability.
HMS Connex is designed to help customers achieve Stage 1 Meaningful Use interoperability requirements, specifically reporting hospital quality measures to CMS, exchanging key clinical information among providers of care (Continuity of Care Document standards), submitting lab results to public health agencies, and submitting data to immunization registries.
HMS has provided a nice matrix to help hospitals determine their position in regards to these new standards. (http://www.hmstn.com/technologies/Meaningful_Use_Matrix.pdf)
The care goals of ARRA have been clearly established and in order to effectively achieve data exchange requirements, an interoperability solution is required.
“HMS understands the challenge that each community hospital will face not only in purchasing and implementing new software, but the workflow and process changes that will be necessary to maximize the technology, gain user acceptance and ultimately achieve meaningful use. That is why we are doing everything we can to ready our systems, expand our implementation teams and add products like HMS Connex that will aid them in this process,” said Tom Stephenson, president and CEO.
