The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week that Maine and 21 other states and territories have entered subcontracts with RTI International Inc. (RTI), a not-for-profit research firm, to address privacy and security policy questions affecting electronic clinical information-sharing.
"Maine has been a leader in providing quality health care," said Baldacci. "Through the State Health Plan, a critical part of Dirigo Health, Maine has been in the forefront of building public-private partnerships such as the Maine Health Information Network Technology project. This project focuses on allowing data from existing systems within practices, hospitals, pharmacies and others to interconnect and transmit data across sites."
Maine's statewide electronic information-sharing system, HealthInfoNet, has been under development for the past two years. HealthInfoNet was designated by the Governor to submit Maine's proposal for this contract. The establishment of a statewide information-sharing system is an important element of the State Health Plan that the Governor unveiled earlier this year.
HealthInfoNet, an independent nonprofit organization is expected to be one of the nation's first statewide electronic information-sharing systems giving authorized health care professionals and treatment centers immediate, secure access to a patient's health records. Once the system is in place, with patients' consent, health providers will be able to instantly access critical information. The system will include rigorous protections to ensure the highest level of patient privacy and overall security.
Consumer advocacy groups from across Maine have been involved in the development of HealthInfoNet. Consumer representatives sit on the HealthInfoNet Board of Directors and will be invited to serve on a standing committee made up of consumers.
Under the contract announced by HHS, Maine will join other states in identifying variations in current privacy and security practices and laws affecting electronic clinical information-sharing. This work will lead to the development of best practices and proposed solutions that will allow information-sharing to take place. It also is expected to build expertise about health information privacy and security protection in communities across the state. Solutions that will be crafted on identification of privacy and security issues will provide a foundation for future work by the federal government and facilitate health information exchange across states.
