Hixny has invested significant resources into streamlining the process for providers to access vital patient information at the point of care, while taking additional steps to keep those records secure.
The non-profit healthcare collaborative supports care coordination for more than 1.7 million patients in the Capital District, Northern New York and the Mohawk Valley. Hixny’s tools and services empower healthcare professionals with valuable electronic health records to enable providers to make better, more informed care decisions and operate more efficiently.
This means that any time Hixny upgrades its health information exchange (HIE) and provider use increases, the result is improved patient outcomes and lower costs. Increasingly, patients are urging providers to use Hixny so the patient knows everyone involved in his or her care has access to the most up-to-date information. The patient does not have to fill out the same forms multiple times or carry records from one provider to another. Duplicate testing is reduced, and patients have fewer appointments, which means less time away from work or family. With more efficient care, healthcare costs are reduced.
The changes to the Hixny portal streamlined and updated the provider login process to improve access and workflow efficiencies for Hixny participants. The upgrade took effect recently after several months of preparation that demanded significant resources, both financial and in terms of the time and effort of the Hixny staff. The goal was to remove barriers that were standing between providers and more consistent use of Hixny at the point of care, while at the same time making it harder for unauthorized users to gain access.
“When patients sign a Hixny consent form, they are entrusting their electronic medical information to us,” said Mark McKinney, CEO of Hixny. “We will ensure that providers see it but that the wrong people do not. This project made the portal more user friendly while upgrading our already robust security.”
The added security step should be familiar to anyone who uses online banking. While many institutions use this type of verification process, Hixny’s solution takes into account both security and usability.
Hixny’s connection to the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY) means that patient data from our region can be safely and securely share with healthcare professionals across New York State, with the patients’ consent.
