EHR support making headway in rural Colorado

Rural healthcare organizations in Colorado are getting help in obtaining the necessary broadband connectivity to support electronic health record use via a collaborative partnership between the state's health information exchange and regional extension center (CORHIO) and the Colorado Telehealth Network, according to a recent SearchHealthIT article.

Until now, rural providers in Colorado have had to rely on dial-up internet connections and on-site hardware. Providers who connect to CTN now can access cloud-based EHR systems, which tend to be more affordable than on-site systems. The partnering entities also plan to offer interoperability to participating providers, which is an essential element of meeting the Meaningful Use requirements.   

"CTN allows healthcare organizations to collaborate and integrate in ways not possible without a high-capacity, connected network," CTN Program Director Debby Farreau said in a recent statement. "By providing high-speed broadband at an affordable rate, we can connect the best medical experts to clinics in the most remote areas of the state."

About 200 Colorado healthcare organizations currently are connected to CTN, which is managed by the Colorado Hospital Association.

Rural providers, thus far, have been faced with unique obstacles in adopting EHRs, where it has been much harder to provide broadband connectivity.

To learn more:
- read the SearchHealthIT article
- learn more about the CTN
- here's the announcement from CORHIO