U Texas launches HIE lab
The University of Texas at Austin launched a Health Information Exchange (HIE) laboratory, which is designed to simulate the national, state and local networks that are being developed to electronically exchange medical data. The laboratory is part of the university’s health IT program offering a certificate program designed to “fast track” university graduates into the rapidly evolving field of health IT.
The HIE laboratory, funded by the Longhorn Innovation Fund for Technology, is a collaboration between the university’s health IT program and two HIE software vendors, Informatics Corporation of America (ICA) and Orion Health, together EHR vendors eClinicalWorks and e-MDs. By creating a simulated “Central Texas Regional HIE” and “North Texas Regional HIE” comprising virtual medical practices in four Texas cities using cloud computing, this laboratory models the “network of networks” designed by the Texas Health Services Authority for the State of Texas.
“This level of hands-on training for students was identified as crucial by our healthcare partners that are seeking skilled, qualified health IT professionals in the workforce,” said Leanne Field, PhD, director of the nine-week health IT certificate program. “In addition, the HIE laboratory has the potential to be a valuable resource for standards-based interoperability testing and research.”
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.