Maryland's 46 acute care hospitals can now all share information electronically on patients admitted, discharged for transferred.
The "encounter level" data can be passed along in real time via the Maryland Health Information Exchange, a statewide system of secure information sharing among hospitals, doctors' offices and health organizations, according to Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who announced the system recently.
Some hospitals also are sharing lab and radiology reports, consult notes and other clinical data.
Brown said Maryland is ahead of other states in its level of connectivity, which should help doctors' better coordinate care and improve outcomes.
The state invested $10 million in the project and got $10.9 million in federal stimulus funds.
"Maryland's Health Information Exchange will help ensure that providers have the right information about the right patient at the right time so we can reduce costs and improve care for all Marylanders," Brown said in a statement. "Gov. O'Malley and I have made becoming a national leader in the implementation of health information technology one of our administration's fifteen strategic policy goals, and this remarkable milestone demonstrates our commitment to moving aggressively to adopt health IT throughout the state."
Also on the IT front, nearly 1,500 doctors in the state and 81 percent of hospitals have implemented electronic records. The information can help doctors to better track patient care, reduce errors and spot trends.