ICW - Technology for Health

New York’s statewide health information technology strategy envisions widespread use of health IT tools by clinicians and consumers.  This prototype will demonstrate secure and accurate transmission of prescription benefit and prescription history information, and prescription routing between electronic medical records (EMRs), the Surescripts network, and pharmacies and payers, utilizing technical services and standards for health information exchange included in the ICW HealthCare Connector installed in each provider’s practice location.

Surescripts (formed by the merger of Surescripts and RxHub in 2008) connects the nation’s payers, prescribers and pharmacies for the safe and secure electronic exchange of prescriptions and prescription information.

“SHIN-NY’s vision for New Yorkers aligns with Surescripts’ vision for all healthcare providers – secure, electronic access to prescription information that can save patients’ lives, improve efficiency and reduce the cost of healthcare, said Rick Ratliff, president, Surescripts Virginia division.  “The Surescripts network, coupled with ICW’s technology, will be a significant first step towards statewide access to prescription history data across NYS.”

Rachel Block, executive director of NYeC explains the importance of this project, “SHIN-NY was formed based on a statewide goal to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare for all New Yorkers.  Information technology is a key ingredient in achieving our goals. By partnering with ICW, a proven technology provider, and Surescripts, the nation’s largest e-prescribing network, we will benefit from experience and will receive the guidance necessary for creating a fully interoperable, statewide health information network.  And from here, we can address issues relative to population health management, drug efficacy, and statewide resource planning.”

Jeremy Coote, CEO of InterComponentWare Inc. notes, “New York’s technical policies and standards can be leveraged by ICW to enable physicians’ access to the Surescripts Network.”  Coote adds, “The key to the success of this initiative lies in the governance and trust established by NYeC, combined with ICW’s and Surescripts’ ability to provide consistent and secure access in the providers’ office.”

The prototype project is in its initial phases and is on track for general implementation in late 2009.

About Surescripts

Surescripts is the result of a 2008 merger between the country’s two leading health information networks: RxHub and Surescripts.  Surescripts gives healthcare providers secure, electronic access to prescription information that can save their patients’ lives, improve efficiency and reduce the cost of healthcare for all.  Available during emergencies or routine care, the Surescripts network is used every day by thousands of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other prescribers across all 50 states.  The Surescripts network connects these prescribers to all of the nation’s major chain pharmacies, the nation’s leading payers and independent pharmacies nationwide.  For more information, go to www.surescripts.com.

About NYeC:

The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) was founded in 2006 by health care leaders across the state, with leadership and support from the New York State Department of Health, based on a shared vision of the urgent need to improve health care quality, safety and efficiency in New York.  NYeC is a public-private partnership that will serve as a focal point for health care stakeholders to build consensus on state HIT policy priorities, and to collaborate on state and regional HIT implementation efforts, in order to improve the organization, delivery and outcomes of health care for all New Yorkers. 
NYeC will become a trusted, independent voice that can reflect a diverse array of interests and perspectives on key policies and standards to ensure that HIT
implementation efforts are successful, and to realize the state’s return on investment under HEAL-NY and other funding mechanisms.

Download press release about ICW and Surescripts to Develop E-Prescribing Prototype Project.