Federated Electronic Health Records

Many State Government and Private agencies are developing programs for the sharing of Electronic Health Records (EHR) to improve patient care. By sharing information among health care providers, labs and insurance companies, a complete picture of an individuals prior test results and treatment history can result in quicker and more accurate diagnosis of an individuals condition.

The solutions deployed for EHR systems involve information sharing from many entities. Doctors offices, hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes, insurance companies and government agencies must collaborate to provide common data format, data definitions and presentation. As a result, these systems have resulted in two distinct architectures of which most implementations are some hybrid. The first architecture is a centralized model where data is collected in a centralized repository and made available through a centralized infrastructure. The second architecture is a federated model where each entity maintains their own data at their own location and provides access on an as needed basis.

Most EHR solutions provide some hybrid of the two purist models. In even the most centralized system some form of real-time data feeds exist to confirm the validity of the data being distributed or to provide the most up to date information. On the other hand, federated models still require a centralized record locator and/or other centralized data store.

In any of these models, the ability to interact with partners and vendors in a coordinated manner is critical. A key element to this coordination is a common security model to allow both external and internal users the ability to navigate systems in many locations and controlled by many agencies through a single authentication and authorization process.

A federated user provisioning tool integrated with a federated single sign-on system provides the ability for each organization to control access for their own employees and customers to the robust suite of federated and centralized electronic health information and systems.

For more information on EHR solutions and how federated security models can add value to the solution please contact Tirion Solutions Inc. Information on Tirion can be found at www.tirionsolutions.com .