The 2009 version of the Microsoft platform Amalga Unified Intelligence System (UIS) incorporates the ASTM E2369 specification for continuity of care (CCR).

The CCR standard is a way to create flexible XML documents that contain the most relevant and timely health information about a patient and to send these electronically from one caregiver to another. With the CCR standard, a core set of data can be sent to the next healthcare provider whenever a patient is referred, transferred, or otherwise uses different clinics, hospitals, or other providers.

Amalga UIS 2009 will use the CCR standard through connectivity to HealthVault to allow providers, once authorized by the patient, to pull information such as a patient’s medication list, allergies, blood pressure, and blood glucose from the patient’s HealthVault record.

New York-Presbyterian Hospital is currently using Microsoft Amalga UIS to collect various patient data such as EKG reports, surgery reports, and discharge medications, and then sending it to the patient’s HealthVault record using the CCR standard. The continuity of care record is also being used by the Google Health application.

Major pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens have partnered with Google Health, offering their customers the opportunity to import their full prescription history into the program using the CCR standard.

For more information about the ASTM CCR standard, go to www.CCRstandard.com.