Verizon Health Information Exchange on the "cloud"

A few weeks ago, Verizon unveiled a 'Cloud' Solution to Facilitate Sharing of Patient Information Among Health Care Providers. Here are a few snippets from the press release:

One of the biggest obstacles to sharing patient information electronically is that health care systems and providers use a wide range of incompatible IT platforms and software to create and store data in various formats.  A new service - the Verizon Health Information Exchange - will soon be available via the "cloud" to address this challenge.

The Verizon Health Information Exchange, one of the first services of its kind in the U.S., will consolidate clinical patient data from providers and translate it into a standardized format that can be securely accessed over the Web.  Participating exchange providers across communities, states and regions will be able to request patient data via a secure online portal, regardless of the IT systems and specific protocols the providers use.  This will enable providers to obtain a more complete view of a patient's health history, no matter where the data is stored.

Having more information at their fingertips will help providers reduce medical errors and duplicative testing, control administrative costs and, ultimately, enhance patient safety and treatment outcomes.  Since the monthly charges are based on a provider's patient-record volume, the service is economical.

You can learn more about the Verizon Health Information Exchange by visiting the heatlhcare section of the Verizon Business Solutions website here.