A major not-for-profit health plan in Southern California was considering developing and deploying a web-based pediatric tracking system for the providers in its network. HLN developed a survey focusing not only on the providers' desire to have certain features, functions, and pediatric information available online, but also their technical readiness to access a web-based application. This survey required extensive knowledge of not only issues in pediatric health, but also background on the local healthcare landscape, and technology and office practice issues as they relate to the private provider setting. HLN completed the survey - along with extensive follow-up to ensure as close to full response as possible - and provided results and analysis sufficient for the health plan to move ahead with their project.
HLN was contracted by a major Northeastern municipal health department to assist in the planning of its Health Alert Network (HAN), a CDC-inspired rapid notification and training system to prepare the healthcare community to react in the event of an emergency. HLN consultants conducted extensive research, led meetings and focus groups, conducted research, and developed materials that ultimately produced a final report of observations and recommendations. HLN assisted the department in writing and evaluating an RFP for the system's acquisition and deployment and, once a contract was awarded, HLN provided guidance and oversight during the implementation of the system.
HLN conducted a technology assessment for the newborn hearing assessment program in a New England state which wanted its antiquated MS-DOS-based patient tracking, follow-up, and reporting system analyzed against a set of modern technical and functional standards. HLN recommended the replacement of the system and completed its redevelopment with screens and workflow reminiscent of the original application but customized based on the client's requirements and brought up to current technology standards.
HLN designed, developed, tested, and deployed a smallpox pre-event system for a major Northeastern municipal health department, as well as provided critical operations support during its hurried deployment. The challenge of this project was to provide a CDC-compliant tracking system for the immunization of quick-response teams in hospitals and health centers capable of handling a smallpox exposure should it occur. The system that was developed needed to manage integration with input files from an external data entry vendor; assistance in developing an alternative data entry form to the one promulgated initially by the CDC; configuring and supporting the two host platforms themselves (Linux/Oracle); and creation of a mirrored database to support data query distinct from the operational database. HLN staff also participated fully in several CDC-sponsored national forums for discussing and developing this system.
HLN was contracted by a not-for-profit foundation in a Southwestern state to evaluate a healthcare data integration project its board had been funding for several years. The objective of the study was to understand from key stakeholders how the project met their needs, or how it might better meet their needs in the future. As a project that developed outside of the frame of the National Health Information Network (NHIN), HLN also assessed how new activities might enlarge the project's appeal and relevance in the national health system integration arena.