MODERN HEALTHCARE
By Rachel Z. Arndt
The CommonWell Health Alliance and the Carequality framework have solidified their connection, boosting interoperability among members and allowing providers to more easily exchange data with each other even if they’re on different electronic health record systems.
CommonWell’s new connection to the Carequality framework, which on Friday becomes available to all the groups’ participants, promotes interoperability by linking the country’s biggest EHR vendors, including Epic Systems Corp., Cerner, Athenahealth, Allscripts, and others. Previously, the connection was available on a limited basis.
Members within each of the groups were already linked. But sharing data between the groups—with Cerner on the CommonWell side and Epic on the Carequality side—was more difficult. This new connection changes that, making it easier for providers whose software is enabled by either CommonWell or Carequality to exchange data.
The connection could help lower costs. “We are hopeful that the increased connectivity will give providers the up-to-date patient health data they need to avoid readmission, duplicative and unnecessary tests and lab work, and the costs ultimately associated with those,” CommonWell Executive Director Jitin Asnaani said.