MEDITECH has accomplished a key milestone with its U.S. interoperability network, Traverse Exchange, as its first customers are successfully exchanging health data to help drive more informed care decisions. Ferry County Health (Republic, Washington) and Frederick Health (Frederick, Maryland) were the initial organizations to connect to the private FHIR-based network in November. Since then, dozens of MEDITECH customers have gone live on Traverse Exchange and more are scheduled through the end of the year and into 2025.
In August, MEDITECH introduced Traverse Exchange to the U.S. market, following the successful launch of its Traverse Exchange Canada solution. The advanced nationwide health information exchange network enables participating MEDITECH customers in the U.S. to share health data seamlessly and securely with one another as well as with organizations using other vendor EHRs and exchange networks that comply with interoperability standards.
Located in rural northeast Washington, Ferry County Health is situated over 40 miles from another hospital and is dedicated to providing the community with exceptional care close to home. By connecting to Traverse Exchange, the organization is leveraging the interoperability network to enhance the quality of care delivered to its patients.
“With MEDITECH’s Traverse Exchange, Ferry County Health patients receive faster, more coordinated care through seamless information sharing across healthcare providers,” said Ferry County Health Information Technology Director and Chief Information Security Officer James Davidson. “This collaboration allows us to improve treatment accuracy, reduce duplicate testing, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes. By connecting with a broader network of specialists and resources, we are ensuring that every patient receives the quality of care they deserve, right here in our community.”
With Traverse Exchange, interoperability goes well beyond data exchange; rather, the network seamlessly integrates data from diverse systems to provide one cohesive source for informed decision-making. Organizations connected to Traverse Exchange can now access health data from all participating MEDITECH customers, as well as organizations using other vendor EHRs connected through the QHIN. However, exchanging data is just scratching the surface of what Traverse Exchange can achieve. In the next phase, MEDITECH will introduce an intelligent presentation of patient data, consumed into workflow. This will eliminate redundancies and give providers a high-level view of the data specific to their needs, at the point of care.
As one of the first organizations to implement Traverse Exchange, Frederick Health has successfully pulled in external health data across a wide range of sources through the network. CMIO Dr. Kristin Conley looks forward to the intelligent presentation of patient data in the most meaningful form.
“Our Oncology department will be able to better synthesize all their patient’s medical visits, not just the ones that take place at Frederick,” she says. “Another example is when patients with more complex medical issues present for surgery, the network will be able to better summarize data from several primary care and specialty care practices and provide a more complete patient history to their surgeon.”
Traverse Exchange surpasses national interoperability requirements by allowing organizations to seamlessly and securely share data elements with their counterparts. The solution positions MEDITECH and its customers well for TEFCA, extending QHIN services through its network via connectivity to the Health Gorilla QHIN. Additionally, it looks beyond TEFCA by exploring new use cases, from genomics to clinical trials.
“This is an exciting step in helping MEDITECH customers overcome common barriers to interoperability - from proprietary vendor ecosystems to static and unwieldy CCD exchange,” said MEDITECH Senior Director of Interoperability Market and Product Strategy Mike Cordeiro.
“We are delivering intelligent interoperability where information is discrete, meaningful, and inclusive of all venues of care, and we are future-proofing our network so we can always adapt to evolving data needs. The additional functionality that will be introduced early next year will reduce clinician burden and empower clinicians to use the data-rich platform to drive interoperability forward for improved care.”
Learn more about how MEDITECH is advancing intelligent interoperability and enabling customers worldwide to share in the power of data.
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