IHIE Expands Electronic Medical Program

Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) todayWabash National and Subaru, we see the QHF
announced the expansion of their innovativeprogram as a way for employers to partner with
Quality Health First (QHF) program to the greaterpayers to improve healthcare while reducing costs
Lafayette region. The QHF program, the first of? not just insurance premiums, but reduced sick
its kind in the United States, is a quality-reportingtime too. It?s an opportunity for Lafayette to
tool for primary-care physicians, designed tohelp lead the way with this cutting-edge health
benefit both physicians and their patients throughreporting system.?
better health outcomes. The QHF programHealthcare insurers Anthem Blue Cross and Blue
supports healthcare providers in identifying andShield of Indiana, UnitedHealthcare and Unified
treating patients? health conditions and remindsGroup Services all currently participate in the QHF
them when crucial preventive care is needed. Theprogram. Some insurers financially support
Lafayette area?s nearly 200,000 residents will betop-performing physicians according to quality
positively impacted by the QHF program?smetrics, which could mean an additional
presence in the region.$10,000-$20,000 per year.
Lafayette is the second metro area in Indiana toCurrently more than 900 physicians participate in
adopt the QHF program, which debuted inthe QHF program. They receive monthly reports
Indianapolis in 2008. The QHF program, which wasthat they can use to proactively monitor patients?
designed by IHIE and the Employers? Forum ofpreventive and chronic disease care. For example,
Indiana, is a groundbreaking approach to qualitythey can view which patients are getting tests
healthcare built on the idea that improvingcompleted, the results of those tests and which
healthcare will ultimately reduce costs. The QHFpatients have yet to come in for testing.
program is built upon an evidence-based"Through the QHF program and other IHIE
measurement system that securely aggregatesinitiatives, Indiana is leading the country in
and delivers important patient information such asintegrated health reporting that benefits
lab results, medication and treatment histories, andphysicians, insurers and most of all, patients,? said
other clinical data in a standardized, electronicDr. J. Marc Overhage, President and CEO of the
format, across all healthcare providers. The QHFIndiana Health Information Exchange. Overhage
program is free to the more than 300also serves as Director of Medical Informatics at
Lafayette-area primary-care physicians, andthe Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and is Regenstrief
provides crucial patient information, such as thoseProfessor of Medical Informatics at the Indiana
due for preventive screenings and chronic diseaseUniversity School of Medicine. ?This is true
follow-up care.healthcare reform: reducing costs and improving
On Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 p.m., thepatient care by confidently sharing vital patient
Lafayette West Lafayette Employers Healthinformation. It?s an exciting time for Lafayette
Forum is hosting an informational meeting atphysicians who can now take part in this reform
Subaru of Indiana Training Center to educate localby utilizing the QHF program to improve care for
employers, insurers and providers on the QHFtheir patients.?
program. The meeting is open to health careQuoting & Saving just got easier...EasyToInsureME
providers in Tippecanoe and surrounding 7Health Insurance
counties.Ohio Health Insurance Indiana Health Insurance
?The Lafayette/West Lafayette Employers?EasyToInsureME offers clients the easiest way to
Forum fully supports IHIE?s introduction of thebuy individual health insurance. Free services
QHF program to our region,? said Ray Sheagley,include instant online health insurance quotes,
Chairman, Lafayette/West Lafayette Employers?custom proposals for each client, free phone
Forum. ?With some of the state?s largestconsultations, and 10-minute application by phone.
employers, including Purdue University, Caterpillar,Nobody does what we do for our clients!