The current infrastructure to support admission, discharge, transfer (ADT) notification exchange is fragmented across the country. Investments in interoperability over the last decade have resulted in much improved ADT exchange at the local and regional level. However, the infrastructure necessary to seamlessly support the exchange of hospital/provider encounter data nationally, in alignment with federal public health needs and requirements does not currently exist. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly demonstrates the critical need and value for real-time access to ADTs and other digital health information integrated at a national level.
United States QHIN’s (USQHIN) National ADT Hub Network (NAHN) is a new collaborative national network focused specifically on rationalizing admission, discharge, and transfer exchange on a national level. The network brings health information exchange (HIE) organizations and ADT service providers across the country together to make ADT data ubiquitous, while increasing the quality of the data being exchanged.
Government
The National ADT Hub Network will offer federal agencies access to a single point of insight for health information across the nation, fully aligned with local, county, and state reporting. Such clarity will enhance their ability to manage public health hot spots and other needs. By connecting to the NAHN, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other federal agencies will get real-time, high quality information about how the extended health system across the country is being impacted by various outbreaks or national disasters. The National ADT Hub Network creates a new national asset that does not exist today to better enable our federal public health response to current and future threats.
Health Information Exchange Partners
Health Information Exchange (HIE) partners are critical to the success of the National ADT Hub Network and are considered key “Gateway Partners”. HIEs are currently facilitating the exchange of ADT data in various regions across the country. The NAHN is focused on bringing those expert ADT organizations together in a collaborative to fill the gap at the national level and ensure that vital ADT data is not bound by current network affiliation. These HIE organizations play a vital role at the last mile in making this data actionable for those they serve and USQHIN strongly supports and wishes to further enable that role. All Gateway Partners will share in the benefits and value generated by the NAHN. As collaborative partners, they will be empowered to better serve their customers, while growing revenue with increased quantity and improved quality of health data.
Vendor Partners
Vendor partners are critical to the success of the National ADT Hub Network and are considered key “Gateway Partners”. Health IT vendors are currently facilitating the exchange of ADT data in various regions across the country. The NAHN is focused on bringing those expert ADT organizations together in a collaborative to fill the gap at the national level and ensure that vital ADT data is not bound by current network affiliation. These vendor organizations play a vital role at the last mile in making this data actionable for those they serve and USQHIN strongly supports and wishes to further enable that role. All Gateway Partners will share in the benefits and value generated by the NAHN. As collaborative partners, they will be empowered to better serve their customers, while growing revenue with increased quantity and improved quality of health data.
Multi-State Provider Systems
The National ADT Hub Network provides a vehicle for rationalizing ADT exchange across the varied geographies of multi-state provider organizations to increase operational efficiencies and comply with federal notification regulations. Large, multi-state provider systems struggle gathering data from the different exchange networks across the varying markets they serve. Through participation in the NAHN, Gateway Partners will be able to better serve the national needs of these large provider system customers by having access to all appropriate ADT data transacted through the NAHN platform. For the multi-state provider systems this will significantly improve the timeliness, quality, and efficiency of the data received through the Gateway Partner of their choosing.
Multi-State Health Plans
The National ADT Hub Network provides a vehicle for rationalizing ADT exchange across the varied geographies of multi-state health plan organizations to increase operational efficiencies and comply with evolving federal regulations. Large, multi-state health plans struggle gathering data from the different exchange networks across the varying markets they serve. Through participation in the NAHN, Gateway Partners will be able to better serve the national needs of these large health plan customers by having access to all appropriate ADT data transacted through the NAHN platform. The NAHN will also be working with these muli-state health plans to leverage and align their incentive structures to better enable high quality ADT message flow. For the multi-state health plans this will significantly improve the timeliness, quality, and efficiency of the data received through the Gateway Partner of their choosing.
The seamless and secure interoperability of electronic health information is imperative for transforming the healthcare delivery system in the U.S. The National ADT Hub Network represents a unique opportunity to leverage well established local and regional health information infrastructures across the country into a collaborative and comprehensive interstate ADT solution.
The National ADT Hub Network is USQHIN’s first use case and aims to foster collaboration between Vendor Partners, HIE Partners, Health Systems, Government Entities, and Payers. By coming together, we commit ourselves to patients and their health, allowing all participants to collectively serve critical national public health needs and the greater good.