Hospice and Palliative Care Providers Now Sharing Health Data Through ENS

Mar 8, 2019 | In the news

The Florida Health Information Exchange welcomes hospice and palliative care providers to the growing number of health care professionals exchanging patient information through the Encounter Notification Service (ENS).

ENS is a statewide network of health systems, accountable care organizations (ACOs), physician practices, and payers that provides real-time notice of patient health care encounters, allowing participants to work together to improve care coordination and transitions of care.

ENS is the largest network of its kind in Florida, connecting over 225 hospitals, 25 ACOs, 15 health insurance companies, and thousands of physicians and health care professionals statewide. Connecting to ENS allows hospice and palliative care providers to know in real-time when one of their patients is receiving emergency or inpatient care at a participating hospital. ENS allows hospice and palliative care providers to work with an admitting hospital on a patient’s care plan, help patients avoid unnecessary or unwanted care, and assist with the transition home or to post-acute care upon discharge. ENS also enables hospice providers to notify other network participants when shared patients have begun hospice care.

Dr. Samira K. Beckwith, President and CEO of Hope Healthcare, said “We are proud to work with the Florida Health Information Exchange (HIE) to ensure timely, coordinated, compassionate care for people living with serious illness. The Encounter Notification Service helps Hope deliver the right care at the right time. The Florida HIE and Acclivity Health have made it easier to receive and respond to vital health data for the benefit of our patients.”

The vendor for the Florida Health Information Exchange, Audacious Inquiry (Ai), also supports the coordination of patient hospice and palliative care through their strategic partnership with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). This partnership aims to improve care quality by increasing connectivity, expanding access to care, and promoting advocacy efforts across the hospice and palliative care communities.

Acclivity Health, which offers connected care solutions to physician practices, ACOs, and hospice providers, has been instrumental in connecting hospice and palliative care providers to ENS in Florida.

The Florida Health Information Exchange is proud to support the important work being done by hospice and palliative care providers in Florida. For more information, please visit www.florida-hie.net or contact us at FLHIE_info@ainq.com.