Cisco Selected to Develop Nationwide Health Information Network Architecture

Cisco has been chosen by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department to collaborate with other technology firms to create prototypes for a nationwide health information network architecture. The company will work with two consortia, one led by Accenture and the other by IBM, to develop architecture and a prototype network for secure information sharing among healthcare providers. This initiative aims to establish an infrastructure for the sharing of electronic health information and create a personal health record for each U.S. citizen.

Key Takeaways:

• Cisco will collaborate with two consortia, led by Accenture and IBM, to develop prototypes for a nationwide health information network architecture.
• The consortia will work to ensure seamless information exchange between three regional healthcare markets.
• The NHIN contracts will bring together technology developers, doctors, and hospitals to create innovative ideas for sharing health information with state-of-the-art security features.
• Each consortium will design and implement a standards-based network prototype during the coming year.
• The prototypes will test patient identification and information locator services, user authentication, access control, and other security aspects.
• The NHIN consortia will work closely with other HHS partners, including the Health Information Technology Standards Panel and the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology.
• Cisco celebrates 20 years in the industry, a leader in networking for the Internet.

Statistics:

• Four consortia were selected to develop prototypes for the nationwide health information network architecture.
• The coming year will be used to design and implement standards-based network prototypes.
• The prototypes will test patient identification and information locator services, user authentication, access control, and other security aspects.
• The NHIN consortia will work with other HHS partners, including the Health Information Technology Standards Panel and the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology.

Sources:

• Biotech Business Week
• NewsRx.com
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
• Certification Commission for Health Information Technology
• Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (est. by RTI and the National Governor's Association)
• U.S. Health and Human Services Department