Health Information Exchange Platform for Improving Patient Transfers

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital

Disqualifiers: Age < 18, ER admission, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to improve how hospitals share critical patient information during transfers, reducing medical errors and enhancing patient safety. Researchers will test a new digital system, the Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform, which helps hospitals access and manage patient records more effectively during patient transfers. The system will undergo testing in three different hospital scenarios to evaluate its effectiveness. Patients transferred from specific hospitals and admitted to services like general medicine or cardiology may qualify for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study offers patients the chance to contribute to innovative solutions that enhance healthcare safety and efficiency.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this health information exchange platform is safe for improving patient transfers?

Research has shown that health information technology, such as the Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform, can enhance healthcare safety by reducing medication errors and adverse drug effects. The platform is generally safe as it manages medical records rather than interacting directly with patients.

Additionally, studies indicate that HIE platforms improve the sharing of patient information among hospitals. Better communication between hospitals leads to fewer medical errors, suggesting the platform is safe due to its role in enhancing information sharing without directly impacting patients. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform because it aims to revolutionize how patient data is transferred between hospitals during patient transfers. Unlike current methods that often rely on cumbersome paper records or fragmented digital systems, the HIE platform facilitates a seamless electronic exchange of clinical information. This streamlined process is expected to enhance communication between hospitals, reduce delays, and improve overall patient care during transfers. By focusing on improving data accessibility and accuracy, the platform holds the promise of setting a new standard in patient transfer protocols.

What evidence suggests that this health information exchange platform is effective for improving patient transfers?

Research has shown that Health Information Exchange (HIE) platforms can enhance communication between hospitals. Studies have found that HIE systems reduce errors during patient transfers between hospitals. For example, one study found that HIE systems provide doctors with better information after a patient transfer. Another study showed that these systems can lower healthcare costs and improve outcomes for patients requiring additional care. In this trial, participants in the intervention arm will use an HIE platform to transfer clinical information, aiming to make hospital transfers safer and more efficient. ^{2 3 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults over 18 who are admitted to general medicine, cardiology, oncology, or ICU services at Brigham and Women's Hospital and transferred from one of these hospitals: Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, South Shore Hospital, Milford Regional Medical Center. It excludes those under 18 or admitted through ER or directly from home/clinic.

Inclusion Criteria

Transferred from one of the 3 included transferring hospitals (Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, South Shore Hospital, Milford Regional Medical Center)

Admitted to the general medical, cardiology, oncology, and/or ICU services at Brigham and Women's Hospital

Exclusion Criteria

I am under 18 years old.

Transferred from a different acute care hospital than the 3 included hospitals

I am coming directly from home or a clinic.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline

The baseline arm will include all included patient transfers from the 3 participating transfer hospitals to the 1 accepting hospital during the 1-year pre-intervention phase. They will not receive any intervention, but rather usual care.

1 year

Intervention

The intervention arm will include all included patient transfers from the 3 participating transfer hospitals to the 1 accepting hospital during the 1-year intervention phase. They will receive the intervention, which will include utilization of the developed health information exchange platform to transfer clinical information between transferring and accepting hospital.

1 year

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment, including surveys of admitting clinicians 48-72 hours after patient transfer.

Up to 72 hours after transfer

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform

Trial Overview The trial is testing a Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform designed to improve the transfer of patient information between hospitals. The goal is to see if this system reduces medical errors by providing better access to clinical data during inter-hospital transfers.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The intervention arm will include all included patient transfers from the 3 participating transfer hospitals to the 1 accepting hospital during the 1-year intervention phase. They will receive the intervention, which will include utilization of the developed health information exchange platform to transfer clinical information between transferring and accepting hospital. The intervention will not interact directly with the patient, but rather their clinical data.

Group II: Baseline Active Control 1 Intervention

The baseline arm will include all included patient transfers from the 3 participating transfer hospitals to the 1 accepting hospital during the 1-year pre-intervention phase. They will not receive any intervention, but rather usual care

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,694

Recruited

14,790,000+

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Collaborator

Trials

415

Recruited

6,777,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10751121/

Health Information Exchange: Understanding the Policy ... HIE the verb refers to the act of data transfer, sharing data between two health care organizations, of which there are many possible technical approaches and ...

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05443321

Advancing Health Information Exchange (HIE) During Inter ... Clinician-reported quality of clinical information available, Collected via a survey of admitting clinicians 48-72 hours after patient transfer. Up to 72 hours ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532046425000115

Examining implementation outcomes in health information ... The aim of this scoping review was to provide a synthesis of studies related to reported implementation outcomes of HIE solutions (and related interoperability ...

4. digital.ahrq.gov digital.ahrq.gov/ahrq-funded-projects/health-information-exchange-utilization-and-inter-hospital-transfer-outcomes

Health Information Exchange Utilization and Inter-Hospital ... This research examined whether Health Information Exchange (HIE) systems improve communication, reduce costs, and enhance outcomes for high-risk patients ...

5. civitasforhealth.org civitasforhealth.org/health-information-exchange/

Health Information Exchange | Things to Consider Health Information Exchange (HIE) refers both to the process of securely sharing health-related data and the organizations that facilitate this exchange.

6. digital.ahrq.gov digital.ahrq.gov/ahrq-funded-projects/advancing-health-information-exchange-hie-during-inter-hospital-transfer-iht

Advancing Health Information Exchange During Inter-Hospital ... An evaluation of the platform will examine its impact on patient safety outcomes, such as medical errors and adverse events; its clinical use and perceived ...

7. datavant.com datavant.com/electronic-health-records/health-information-exchange

Health Information Exchange: What It Is and Why It Matters Health information exchange is the secure and seamless sharing of patient data electronically between healthcare organizations.

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5787626/

The impact of health information technology on patient safety Health information technology improves patient safety by reducing medication errors, reducing adverse drug reactions, and improving compliance to practice ...