Integrating Behavioral and Physical Health Care in the Corrections Systems
Overview
Altarum helped a county in Michigan adopt and integrate into their correctional system a health information exchange. The goal of the project was to establish a system in which health records could be shared more quickly and easily, improving the coordination and delivery of medical and behavioral health care to inmates.
Approach
After the health information exchange was implemented, Altarum created workflows and provided training to corrections staff and clinicians to ensure the system would be fully utilized by those who coordinate and deliver care. This involved mapping existing workflows to new processes for tasks such as locating patient records from individual organizations, including social service agencies, other correctional facilities and juvenile detention centers, and local clinics and hospitals
Results
As a result of our training, users of the exchange log over 10,000 queries each month. Each query represents an instance in which a provider is adding or obtaining information from the system that can be used to deliver better, more coordinated care over the life span of the patient.