North Texas Accountable Healthcare Partnership (NTAHP)

The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation (DFWHC Foundation) is supporting the non-profit organization the North Texas Accountable Healthcare Partnership (NTAHP). This will assist efforts in obtaining federal grant dollars for North Texas to establish a Health Information Exchange between hospitals, physicians, pharmacies and labs.

The NTAHP is governed by representatives of business, insurance, hospitals and physician providers. The group has requested a multi-million dollar grant from the state (which has received federal monies for such grants) to create a regional Health Information Exchange. This will allow physicians treating patients in one setting to view “real time” information within the exchange from a patient’s other provider such as a hospital. The exchange would improve timeliness, accuracy and safety while reducing the cost of per-patient care.

Because of the sensitive nature of patient information, security for these health information exchanges will be important in establishing credibility with patients consenting to the system’s use. In order to retrieve the information, providers will need to log in to a system.

The NTAHP grant application addresses these issues, but further planning with experts will be necessary after the grant is awarded. Experts such as clinicians will advise what information can be exchanged to improve the care of patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure and other chronic conditions. Technology experts with backgrounds in banking information exchange will also be involved. Finally, legal experts will ensure that appropriate patient contracts are in place for all participants.

It is the DFWHC Foundation’s goal to promote improved, cost-conscious care through a Health Information Exchange. Notification for these grant awards will take place in March. The DFWHC Foundation and the NTAHP anticipate information exchange capabilities to be in place for a 13-county North Texas region by the end of 2011. Stay tuned!

Kristin Jenkins
kjenkins@dfwhcfoundation.org