The Florida Health Exchange (HIE) has facilitated a service that will now allow providers to query medical records of participating healthcare organizations for individual patient data, and two large organizations have announced their participation. The providers, Strategic Health Intelligence of Pensacola and Atlantic Coast Health Information Exchange of Miramar, are using what’s called the Florida Health Information Exchange Patient Look-Up Service.

The two providers are the first to use it, and represent more than 2.5 million patient combined. The service was developed by Harris Healthcare Solutions, a Washington-based healthcare IT vendor, and aims to enhance communications between hospitals, physicians and other providers; while reducing orders for duplicate tests, procedures, and medications. 

In total, the Florida HIE expects to will include up to 20 participating entities across the state by June of next year. It will also look to connect with providers outside the state through the nationwide eHealth Exchange. 

“Securely sharing patient data through the Patient Look-Up service will lead to better quality healthcare for Florida’s citizens and reduce administrative costs for providers,” Vishal Agrawal, president of Harris Healthcare Solutions, said in a statement.  “By improving access to important information when and where it’s needed, Harris is enabling health care providers to reduce costs and improve health care outcomes for patients by giving providers the most up-to-date and complete medical record possible at the point of care.”