NASHVILLE, TN – Informatics Corporation of America (ICA), a developer of interoperability technology for health information exchange, has launched ICAetc, which is billed as a free and open forum for vendors to test the interoperability of their programs, ensuring the connection and communication of disparate systems.
“The ICAetc test center was created to help foster the adoption of XDS.b and other IHE protocols by providing a free XDS infrastructure that is readily available to other vendors for testing XDS.b and CCD compatibility,” said Tim Dunnington, director of interoperability at ICA. “Vendors and IHE implementers of all types are invited to join the community, and work together to ensure interoperability among their applications.”
[See also: ICA joins NYeC workgroup to help develop connectivity standards.]
ICA is providing the open environment as well as an installation of CareAlign CareExchange, its interoperability infrastructure based on cross-enterprise document sharing (XDS), Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) and the Direct Project.
Officials say vendors from across the healthcare IT community are invited to join the network. Once there, these developers can test with ICA or with any other participating vendor they choose. ICAetc also includes a community portal to allow vendors to ask questions, share experiences, and help each other achieve success in interoperability.
[See also: Interoperability key to better patient care.]
ICA officials say they'll be staffing ICAetc to facilitate the information exchange as the forum grows and is put to use by healthcare IT vendors nationwide. Current participants include Allscripts, Askesis Development Group, athenahealth, CPSI, eClinicalWorks, eMDs, Meditech, NextGen, Orion and Sage Healthcare Division.
