Strategic partnership between IWG, HIMSS and IHE focuses on EHR-HIE connectivity

The EHR/HIE Interoperability Workgroup (IWG), HIMSS and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) have formed a strategic relationship to move forward efforts to streamline the process for achieving connectivity between EHR and health information exchange systems. ICSA Labs will serve as the testing and certification body for this effort.

The alliance will strengthen IWG’s current programs to test and certify EHR and HIE vendors that perform reliable data transfer within and across organizational and state boundaries. Moreover, it seeks to expedite consensus on national standards, adopting EHR certification criteria and testing procedures as relevant for Stage 2 Meaningful Use, according to a press release.

Contributions for each participating collaborator are as follows:

• IWG will offer the specifications, an automated testing tool and significant workgroup membership of states and vendors; 
• IHE USA will bring specifications that form the foundation of interoperability, industry expertise and support and experience in system-to-system and product testing; 
• HIMSS will offer its public policy channels, stakeholder representation and sector support; and
• ICSA Labs will provide expert health IT analysts, and a proven testing and certification framework. 

The collaboration affects half of the U.S. population, as their healthcare providers will have the ability to access health data shared across states and systems, according to the organizations.

“By making it easier for electronic health record systems to communicate, this new collaboration will help fulfill the promise of health information exchange, improving patient care and lowering healthcare costs,” said Dave Whitlinger, executive director of the New York-eHealth Collaborative and coordinator of the Statewide Health Information Network of New York, in a statement.