New Video Offers Information About the Medical Data Exchange 

Securely Share Electronic Records with Medical Data Exchange powered by Verizon

The Medical Data Exchange is a private, secure, network-based platform for the distribution and sharing of medical transcription and related medical records in electronic form.  The Medical Data Exchange and related consortium work will also enable relatively unstructured documents like dictations to populate structured electronic health records in an automated, standards-based format.

Further key characteristics of Medical Data Exchange:

•    Created for simple, nationwide,  secure, private exchange

•    Provides new infrastructure for acceleration of health information sharing

•    Links together technology platforms and software from leading vendors in a nationwide network built by Verizon

•    Designed to meet all NHIN requirements

•    First users of exchange are transcription companies

•    Helps ease burden of meaningful use in simplified platform with implementation at your pace

At least 1.2 billion patient notes are created each year in the U.S., and an estimated 25% of them are shared with other providers. Virtually all of these records are either faxed or sometimes mailed to hospitals, physician offices and ambulatory clinics.

Most of these documents start out as digital files, but lose their electronic functionality once faxed or mailed. The Medical Data Exchange can replace this outdated system with the ability to send documents electronically from physician to physician, provider to provider. The use of digital medical records is now required by law.

Eliminating fax cover sheets and paper documents, if records are stored electronically without printing, provides both green benefits and cost control.

Digitizing patient notes throughout their entire lifecycle allows for automated search, automated import into other systems, and the use of numerous automation tools to help with:
•    billing
•    research
•    submission for reimbursement
•    error tracking
•    automated reminders and follow-up (among others)
•    efficient storage and retrieval
•    less expensive sharing
•    lowering workload of hospital and physician office personnel

In addition electronic versions of these records are generally easier to find, to secure and to keep private.  

The reach of the exchange with initial consortium members is 2,457 hospitals, 2,733 clinics, 350,900 physicians and 2,474,412,000 total documents archived.

Source: MTIA Survey for Medical Transcription Consortium participants, September 2009  

For more information, please contact: mdex@icsalabs.com.