Operators of several major hospitals in Hawaii have agreed to share medical records through a new state-run online system.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Tuesday that Castle Medical Center and Hawaii Pacific Health will be part of the system run by the Hawaii Health Information Exchange.
The agreements broaden the information shared among communities across the state, said Christine Sakuda, executive director of the exchange.
"By utilizing the Health eNet, these major healthcare providers will be able to improve patient care and manage costs for both the organization and their patients," Sakuda said.
The information exchange was established in 2006 and has received about $12.5 million in federal and private funding. It is expected to launch in November, with providers able to access things like medical histories and prescriptions.
State lawmakers gave it $825,000 for operating funds for 2014.
Sakuda said the system's challenge will be building trust that the information will be shared and governed appropriately.
"The next 12 months is a very critical year for us," Sakuda said.
Steve Robertson, spokesman for Hawaii Pacific Health, said costs will go down because doctors won't have to reorder tests to obtain information that is stored somewhere else.
Hawaii Pacific Health is the parent company for Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center, Straub Clinic & Hospital and Wilcox Health.
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