A group of 15 Worcester County health care providers will participate in a pilot program aimed at improving electronic communication of vital patient data, Gov. Deval Patrick’s office announced.
UMass Memorial Health Care and Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester are participating, as are a number of nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and physicians groups.
Providers will eventually test an electronic version of the state’s so-called “universal transfer form,” which allows providers to send patient data to each other when patients move from an acute care facility, like a hospital, to a post-acute care facility, like a rehabilitation clinic. The pilot will begin with a paper version of the transfer form for the first four months.
The initiative is part of the Improving Massachusetts Post-Acute Care Transfers (IMPACT) project.
Electronic medical record systems aim to reduce medical errors, reduce health care costs and improve care.
The state previously received $1.7 million in federal funds to develop the project, which is being led by the Massachusetts eHealth Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
Other providers include Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center in Westborough, Life Care Center of Auburn, Millbury Health Center, and the following Worcester sites: Christopher House, Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital, Family Health Center, Holy Trinity Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Jewish Healthcare Center, Notre Dame Long Term Care Center, Overlook Visiting Nurses Association in Worcester, Radius Healthcare Center, Reliant Medical Group and VNA Care Network and Hospice.
