Effective lab-EHR data integration made easy.

As Accountable Care Organization (ACO) healthcare entities dynamically define themselves in order to deliver on the promise of comprehensive, quality, efficient, and cost-effective healthcare, they must pay close attention to the environment in which they operate. A major component of successful integrated healthcare is access to pertinent medical data. About 80% of the data contained in medical records is related to laboratory results and is essential for 70% of clinical decision making.

Due to their nature, ACOs face an even more heterogeneous IT environment than other organizations and will face greater obstacles on their way to achieve the required meaningful connectivity between their members. The many-to-many nature of the connections between EHRs, laboratory information systems (LISs), and other health information systems (HISs) creates a complex and costly implementation environment that exceeds the IT and financial capacities of most such organizations. Complicating matters further, all this must be achieved in face of the transition to HIPAA 5010 and the impending ICD-10 conversion.

To facilitate connectivity, an alternative approach is proposed; middleware that seamlessly connects LISs to EHRs without consuming IT and financial resources of ACOs. The middleware route utilizes the know-how of third party vendors who had already achieved lab-EHR integration with all major players, and offer an integrated laboratory-data information exchange or hub.

A "hub" model essentially provides a comprehensive lab clearinghouse that enables distribution of orders from any capable physician EHR system to any hospital or laboratory, and then delivers results back into the various EHR systems. Such hubs can also support alerts and reminders, decision support, and empower patients to access laboratory results. Able to provide highly specific LOINC codes, hubs enable effective utilization, quality, and disease management efforts. The hub approach supports a business model that can minimize the financial burden for such organizations.