CommonWell is Forging Ahead with Data Exchange and Patient Access

The creation of the not-for-profit CommonWell Health Alliance in 2013 was a turning point for data use and interoperability in the U.S. health care market. Many of the largest EHR vendors, clinicians, and others came together to cooperate on carrying out the mission of the HITECH act and the foundations for value-based care.

This video interviews Paul L Wilder, Executive Director, and Liz Lewis, Director of Product, at CommonWell Health Alliance. They talk about the increase in the size of health care documentation, the Alliance’s increasing integration of payers, the importance of patient access to records, and more.  Plus, we ask Wilder and Lewis about the announcement of the CommonWell marketplace including who is involved and who else would benefit from participating in the marketplace.

Lewis said that one of their priorities is “solving for prior authorization,” and Wilder pointed out how prior authorization depends often on combining documents from many different sources.

AI hasn’t introduced much of a change to CommonWell’s work, because for them it’s simply another use for data which is growing rapidly in any case. Wilder mentioned the value of data science to uncover possible duplication of records. He also said that their service covers records for 261 million people. The increasing involvement of payers will allow them to combine clinical, patient, and billing data.

Lewis said that CommonWell has promoted patient access from the start, but that the industry has held back until recently. The critical need for patient verification has been solved by CommonWell, and she expressed satisfaction that a major vendor has recently pledged to use CommonWell to provide patient access. However, Wilder said that some providers still don’t believe patients need or can use their data

Lewis said the Alliance wants to promote usability and data quality, and to make it easier for providers to come on board.

Learn more about CommonWell Health Alliance: https://www.commonwellalliance.org/

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 CommonWell Health Alliance is a proud sponsor of Healthcare Scene.