Health care costs can quickly add up as a result of a routine check-up or something more serious, like a trip to the emergency room. But what if we told you that there is a way to help control costs individually and across Vermont, just by having your health information shared seamlessly between the members of your care team?
98.9% of Vermonters share health data with their providers through VITL, the state’s independent nonprofit health data network. VITL gives doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, care coordinators, and other qualified health care providers a centralized place to access a more complete, up-to-date patient record, including information from most of the places Vermonters receive care all across the state. This supports your provider in delivering informed, safe, and cost-effective care when and where you need it.
Slowing the growth of health care costs while continuing to provide great care for patients is a shared goal across Vermont, and health data exchange plays a key role in achieving it. How exactly will this sharing help slow the growth in health care costs in the state, and what does health information sharing mean? Let’s take a deeper look.
What is health information sharing?
Health information sharing means that your personal health record, which includes things like medications, allergies, immunizations, test results, diagnoses, and provider notes, is securely shared among the health care professionals who treat you.
Hospitals and providers’ offices keep records of the care they give you; VITL brings these records together. This way, your care team can get a full picture of your health, no matter where in Vermont you’ve received or will receive care. And you don’t have to worry about remembering every past immunization or test result; your record travels with you.
How does health information sharing reduce costs?
When your providers can access a more complete picture of your health, they can avoid unnecessary and costly steps, like ordering duplicate lab tests, prescribing medication that won’t interact well with others you’re taking, or repeating X-rays you’ve already had at another clinic.
For example, if you visit the emergency room, having instant access to your recent lab work and imaging reports means the ER staff won’t need to run those tests again. That can lead to better outcomes for patients and slower growth in health care costs across the state over time.
When essential health data is right at hand, right away, providers and health care staff spend less time making and responding to records requests, freeing up time for care and saving administrative costs.
Studies conducted across the United States have demonstrated the impact of health data sharing, ranging from reduced hospital readmissions and associated cost savings, to overall reductions in health care spending. In short, health information sharing helps cut down on waste and improve care, benefiting you as well as Vermont’s health care system.
Is sharing health information safe?
Privacy and security are a priority for VITL and built into every step of the health data exchange process. Only authorized providers and staff of participating health care provider organizations can access your information — and only for specific, approved purposes. Records are also available to public health professionals for their work to keep Vermonters healthy and well. And care managers and other staff at public and private health insurance providers can use VITL data for limited purposes that support timely, high-quality, cost-effective care. Everyone using VITL is required to follow strict state and federal privacy laws, including HIPAA, and access is tracked and monitored.
Health care should be affordable for everyone. There is no single solution to slowing the growth of health care costs, but we know that safe, efficient health data sharing is one of the many tools needed to build a more sustainable health care system.
Learn more about your options, including the ability to opt out of your record being viewed, at vitl.net/sharing. The VITL team is available to talk with you and answer questions about health information sharing. VITL’s toll-free number is 1-888-980-1243. If you have opted out in the past and have changed your mind, you can also contact VITL to opt back in.
