Electronic Medical Record Interoperability

Medtronic is strategically committed to providing its customers timely and easy access to the information resident in its various cardiac information systems, and to the provision of workflow tools that make it easy to transmit, access, and manage that information. Today, Medtronic leads the industry with technology solutions that connect data from a patient’s device all the way to the electronic medical record (EMR). The Medtronic CareLink® Network, Medtronic CareLink® Programmer, and Paceart® System are the key components to seamless management and transfer of patient device data.

In 2003, Paceart completed the link to the electronic medical record via its Export Module. Today, Paceart customers use this option to transmit software-industry-standard XML-based data to their electronic medical records, combining cardiac data with other patient information to provide more comprehensive insights into patient care.

Medtronic is committed not only to the transfer of Paceart-managed clinical data to the electronic medical record, but also to ensuring that its various cardiac information tools are designed to complement the capabilities of such systems. Such “interoperability” empowers clinicians to provide optimal patient care and efficient clinic workflow management. Interoperability will proceed on two fronts: the adoption of Health Level Seven (HL7) messaging protocols and the close collaboration with leading electronic medical record system providers to simplify data movement.

HL7

Paceart's HL7 messaging activities will tentatively focus on in- and outbound patient demographic, insurance, and scheduling data, as well as the outbound transfer of Paceart-managed clinical data. Paceart's 2006 First Edition will support the bi-directional exchange of patient demographic and insurance data via the HL7 ADT (admission, discharge, transfer) message.

Regarding HL7-based support for outbound transfer of clinical data, Medtronic is committed to delivering this capability as soon as HL7 formally adopts a comprehensive standard, which is currently under development. Medtronic, along with other implanted cardiac device industry leaders, is actively working with HL7 to develop this standard. In the interim, no vendor – either from the implanted cardiac device or health care information system industries – can accurately claim such support. While the exact timing of a substantive HL7 message type to support the planned transfer of data from implanted cardiac devices is uncertain, it is probable that a standard of limited scope may be available during 2005. A more comprehensive HL7 cardiac device message type is likely in 2006, with the expectation that leading EMRs would fully support the standard by 2007.

Electronic Medical Record Vendor Collaboration

During the next several months, Medtronic will work with leading EMR vendors to support interoperability, utilizing our current XML-based format, as well as emerging HL7 messaging standards that will also be based on XML. These activities are intended to ensure your Paceart investment will meet your healthcare information strategy needs.

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Electronic Medical Record Interoperability

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