 Using Technology to Strengthen Information Sharing Between Clinical and Social Service Organizations in our Community
by Carrie Baker, President and CEO, Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus For the last several years, the Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus (HCGC) has been working with community partners to work within what we call a "medical neighborhood" so we strengthen information sharing and relationships between clinical and social service organizations in our community. Because of our partners’ strong commitment to this work we all, as individuals and as a community, have learned so much and embarked on improving quality, value and patient experience by collaborating in our community with the assistance of CliniSync's technology platform to exchange patient data. We recognize that patient healthcare outcomes are dependent on so much more than what happens inside a primary care or hospital’s physical space. Environmental, social and behavioral factors deeply influence health and healthcare status and are often sighted as a reason many people can’t achieve optimal health, both in our region and across the state and country. Addressing social determinants of health and promoting better connectivity and coordination among all providers – primary care, behavioral health, social services – and by utilizing state-of-the-art technology to assist in doing so is a hallmark of HCGC’s mission and the core of this work with our partners. A well-coordinated patient experience requires a complete picture of a patient’s health information. This means that every patient’s healthcare provider has a single point of access for referrals and information sharing—from local healthcare providers, social service agencies, and other healthcare stakeholders. We know that technology cannot replace strong provider relationships, but it can augment a difficult world where data --from screenings and assessments to making a referral and having access to the referral outcomes in real-time --can make a difference. We know that a single, HIPAA compliant portal where all those working with a patient can communicate, reduce duplication or even locate patients and their records is the right path to be taking. And we are grateful, thanks to all of our partners below, to report that in 2018, CliniSync referrals nearly doubled! As HCGC embarks on more quality and cost data collection and reporting, on addressing social determinants of health through the Central Ohio Pathways HUB in our community. Together, we support specific pilots and projects in the region-addressing transportation needs: reducing senior malnutrition, engaging employers and patients in taking more of a leadership role in the quality of the healthcare they buy/receive. In partnership with all of you, we believe 2019 will continue to see increases in collaboration via technology. Below is a list of Medical Neighborhood Partners, with more signing up each week. For additional information, please always feel free to contact carrie@hcgc.org for more information.
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