Chicago-based Rush Health is creating a private health information exchange for its physicians and hospitals with goals to improve care coordination throughout its network.
Rush Health's network includes Rush University Medical Center, Rush Oak Park Hospital, Rush-Copley Medical Center and more than 900 physician members.
The exchange will allow physician practices and hospitals in Rush Health to access near real-time clinical, operational and financial data from the various technology systems in the network's facilities, including electronic medical records.
Rush Health officials also expect the exchange to improve population health efforts. "We will be able to identify populations of patients with chronic diseases…and know right away when patients are seen in an emergency room or admitted to a hospital," Brent J. Estes, president and CEO of Rush Health, said in a news release. "Using this information, we can better analyze trends and patterns to organize approaches to care and follow up that can reduce episodes of care, improve health and save patients and payers money."
Rush contracted with Bellevue, Wash.-based Caradigm to support the exchange initiative.
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