Innovative Chronic Disease Grant with the NYS Department of Health Showcases the Value of HIE Data
At the end of September, HealtheConnections will complete its fifth and final year of activities supported by New York State’s Innovative Chronic Disease grant, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The overall goal of the CDC grant was to develop and test new approaches to address evidence-based strategies aimed at reducing the risks, complications, and barriers to the prevention and control of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in high-burden populations. HealtheConnections was one of three QEs that worked closely with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to demonstrate the value of HIEs developing population-level prevalence estimates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, creating clinical registries, and hosting chronic disease referral platforms. Together, we developed standards for the measures and shared best practices.
Over the five years of funding, we were able to create health information exchange (HIE) tools that offer support to our public health partners, clinical practices, and community-based organizations. One of these tools is the myPopHealth application, which provides insightful reports on the prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes, hypertension, ASCVD, and prescribed statin therapy to local health departments and the NYSDOH. We also enhanced and promoted the Community Referrals platform hosted on the myConnections portal. This platform enables clinical-to-community connections and makes it easier for people to access the resources they need.
Additionally, we established and improved chronic disease registries that are accessible through myData, an analytic tool that allows users access to their patient profiles to help identify gaps in care and see how their organization ranks in quality measures. The state’s investment in our work has enabled us to extend and sustain these tools over the past five years, and we are proud to provide them to our participants at no cost.
Through this project, we established a positive relationship with the staff at the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention at NYSDOH. We utilized their expertise effectively, which has resulted in additional funding opportunities. This partnership has become a crucial part of HealtheConnections’ involvement in and support of public health.
The outcomes and benefits of this grant are bound to have a lasting impact on our communities, extending far beyond the duration of the funding period. The products and initiatives established through this grant will continue to provide support and enhance the quality of life for those in need, ensuring a positive and sustainable future.
