As winter marches on through February, the IHIN team continues to work on connecting the major Iowa integrated health systems, as well as a variety of smaller, independent providers, to the new Iowa Health Information Network

When a patient sees a physician, RN or staff from the same care network, like UnityPoint or Mercy, their medical information and data are loaded into a system shared by everyone in the same network. But when patients seek care outside of their networks, how do doctors know about a patient’s history, medications, conditions and other medical information that helps staff make informed decisions and recommendations?

2017 has come to an end and we once again find ourselves presented with a new beginning full of opportunity and the mysteries of much unknown. For many, this wraps up a December that was abuzz with holiday hustle and bustle.

Greetings! Welcome to the IHIN blog. In the future, we’ll discuss hot topics in healthcare informatics, data exchange and meaningful measures, including local, national and global initiatives. We plan to use this space to challenge old ideas, introduce new ones and stimulate great conversation!