Clinical Portal InContext
Overview
To ensure that our participant end users are able to access critical information on their patients when they need it most, the Clinical Portal InContext service seamlessly embeds patients' statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) records within participants' internal electronic health record (EHR) systems. The service does not replace the traditional web-based Clinical Portal platform, but instead provides an alternative access point to the system and displays just the “need-to-know” information from a patient’s longitudinal health record to help facilitate point-of-care delivery.
Access & Authorization
HealthInfoNet’s Clinical Portal InContext service allows end users from HIE-participating organizations to access the HIE’s statewide electronic health record system without having to enter their portal usernames and passwords as long as they have previously been (a) credentialed within the Clinical Portal and (b) authenticated within their organization’s EHR system.
For those end users that meet the necessary authentication requirements, once they have retrieved a patient’s health record from within their EHR system they can choose to instantaneously launch a session that puts a limited version of the traditional web-based Clinical Portal experience within their EHR workscreen as an iframe embedded view.
Doing so initiates a Single-Sign-On (SSO) event (leveraging the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) standard) by using the end user’s Clinical Portal ‘username’ value to establish connectivity between the two systems. Once authenticated, the Clinical Portal opens in context to the selected patient’s HIE record.
Because of this embedded workflow configuration, only the selected patient’s HIE record is made available within the Clinical Portal InContext session; end users are not able to navigate away from the selected patient’s HIE record to access other functions available in the standard Clinical Portal service (e.g., logout button, global/portal menu items, account settings, notification services, etc.).
Features & Functionality
While the Clinical Portal platform is an online, browser-based system that provides access to the HIE’s full suite of electronic health record services, the Clinical Portal InContext service is a limited version of the traditional system that is intended to serve participant end users more effectively and efficiently at the point of care by providing an EHR-embedded view of a selected patient’s HIE health record.
Due to the differences inherent in the design of each application in terms of how they are intended to serve HIE-participating end users, there are a few key reasons why an end user may choose to use one tool over the other in their clinical workflows based on feature/functionality availability (and restriction).
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Key Notes & Considerations
Feature Functionality | Note/Consideration | Recommendation |
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Whereas the Clinical Portal system provides end users with the ability to flexibly search for and select patients' HIE health records within the platform depending on changing use cases, the Clinical Portal InContext service only allows end users to view the HIE health record for the patient whose chart is open in their EHR workscreen. End users cannot change the patient whose HIE health record they are viewing within the Clinical Portal InContext service without first navigating to a different patient’s chart within their EHR system. | Should end users leveraging the Clinical Portal InContext service require more dynamic navigation to various patients' HIE health records, the traditional Clinical Portal system should be used. | |
Whereas the Clinical Portal system allows end users to easily change the DEA and/or NPI credentials that are assigned to their accounts to ensure proper authorization through the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) integration, the Clinical Portal InContext service does not allow end users to navigate to their Account Details to dynamically make any necessary modifications. | Should end users leveraging the Clinical Portal InContext service require the ability to more flexibly modify their PMP Authorization account settings, the traditional Clinical Portal system should be used. | |
Whereas the Clinical Portal system provides the value-add Notification Service that allows end users to configure email-based alerts for key medical events on desired patient panels, the Clinical Portal InContext service does not support the integration of this service. | Should end users leveraging the Clinical Portal InContext service require the ability to adjust their notification subscription or patient panel configurations, the traditional Clinical Portal system should be used. | |
Whereas the Clinical Portal system enables end users to view and make changes to their account settings, including the ability to change their email address, reset their password, and make important authorization updates for certain service integrations, the Clinical Portal InContext system does not allow end users to navigate away from a patient’s HIE health record view. | Should end users leveraging the Clinical Portal InContext service require the ability to modify their account settings, the traditional Clinical Portal system should be used. |
Training & Education
For assistance in better understanding the differences between the Clinical Portal system and the Clinical Portal InContext service, and how each can be best optimized within participant end users' workflows, please contact our Clinical Education team (clinicaleducation@hinfonet.org) to schedule a conversation.
Participant Availability
By participating in the statewide HIE, organizations do not automatically obtain access to the Clinical Portal InContext service like they do the traditional Clinical Portal system. Implementation of the Clinical Portal InContext service for HIE-participating organizations first requires a technical feasibility conversation with organizations and their EHR system vendors to confirm integration capabilities. Should the systems be compatible, separate statements of work, timelines, and budgets will be prepared for HIE-participating organizations' review and execution prior to implementation work beginning.
If your organization is interested in learning whether it may be able to implement our Clinical Portal InContext service, please contact our Client Engagement team (clientengagement@hinfonet.org) to schedule an exploratory technical feasibility discussion.