California Health eQuality (CHeQ), a program of the UC Davis Health System Institute for Population Health Improvement, has just announce the formation of California Direct, and the availability of free Direct accounts for rural providers in California. These Direct accounts will be managed through a grant issued to Axesson to operate a Health Information Service Provider (HISP) using Direct technology for an inexpensive, easy-to-use, quick-to-implement method to securely exchange health information in a manner similar to secure email.
This exchange method improves care coordination by enabling providers with or without an Electronic Health Record to securely share protected health information with care team members across organizational boundaries and:
- transmit referrals and care summaries securely, consistently, and electronically
- send alerts to all providers caring for a patient upon hospital admission, discharge, and transfer
- enable patient access to their information electronically
- connect to trusted health information exchanges
- meet Meaningful Use requirements
Through its federally-funded program with the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) under the HIE Cooperative Agreement with the ONC, CHeQ has been working to steadily build a stable foundation for HIE expansion. They recogniz the need for low cost, easily implemented, intuitive HIE options for widely distributed rural providers.
California Direct will enable ambulatory providers, clinics, and hospitals to engage in HIE with inexpensive Direct accounts and it is being offered free in 2014 to the first 1,000 participating rural providers. Interested urban providers may subscribe to the service for a small fee.
Axesson will begin accepting enrollment to California Direct in January 2014. for more information on how to participate please visit www.cadirect.org.
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