Anthem is partnering with Epic to share patients' clinical data with hospitals and providers, the insurer said May 19.
Under the partnership, Anthem will use Epic's payer platform to share clinical information and hospital data on admissions, discharges and transfers with providers who use Epic's software. For example, providers will be notified when their patients are discharged from the hospital to help improve follow-ups.
Ashok Chennuru, Anthem's chief data and insights officer, said the "work with Epic stands to benefit more than 14.7 million consumers served by Anthem's affiliated health plans who see clinicians using Epic's software," according to a news release.
The data exchange will help close clinical and medication gaps in care, Anthem said. Anthem will analyze health information and provide insights to care teams that can be used to inform treatment, the payer said.
The partnership has an administrative component as well: Providers will be able to send prior authorizations through Epic rather than phone or fax, and health plans will send decisions back electronically.
The payer platform is available to health systems and providers who use Epic. MetroHealth System, a four-hospital system in Cleveland, is part of the initial group of providers on the platform, Anthem said.