Sharing C-CDAs is about more than checking a box for Meaningful Use; these capsules of clinical information are the foundation for more efficient and effective transitions of care.

As Cheryl Taylor Director of Care Management, Renal Operations for Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare's North Market shared in last month's Connections, "True care coordination means having all of the knowledge on a patient, not just what's in our system." C-CDAs, which can contain diagnoses, lab results, medications, care plans, stats and vitals, and visit summaries, can give providers a comprehensive summary of clinical information and enable effective and timely decisions for the next phase of the patient's care.

C-CDAs shared through WISHIN can be especially helpful for transitions of patients between hospitals and long-term post-acute care facilities (LTPACs) such as skilled nursing, assisted living, home health and hospice organizations.

The Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO) found that LTPAC staff could reduce staff time related to processing new patients by an average of 29 hours per patient by using CORHIO's health information exchange services. By reduced time spent hunting down records, LTPAC providers can see to patients more quickly after admittance and make sure that medication, appointments or other care plans are addressed promptly. By the same token, C-CDAs shared by LTPACs can help hospitals receiving LTPAC patients for an inpatient or emergency-department admission to better and more quickly understand recent care given at the facility and incidents preceding the hospital encounter.

Many WISHIN participants are already sharing C-CDAs via WISHIN or will begin doing so this year.

When users query WISHIN Pulse for clinical data (care summaries) they are automatically querying all WISHIN Pulse participants AND all eHealth Exchange participants that WISHIN has configured. Users don't have to know the specific organization they wish to query. 

Contact WISHIN for more information on how your organization can use and contribute C-CDAs or for answers to any other questions you may have regarding the WISHIN Pulse Community Health Record.