The Health Passport Project (HPP)

Among other technology providers, Cleverex closely works with the Western Governors' Association (WGA) on a project called, the Health Passport Project (HPP). This innovative project uses the "smart card" technology to put important health information into the hands of mothers and their children in Bismarck, ND; Cheyenne, WY; and Reno, NV. HPP is the largest health-care demonstration in the United States for smart cards. Cleverex ensures that the HSFIS and PROMIS application systems on Cleverex hosted servers and local desktop computers communicate fully and securely with the HPP local desktop and software application and host server. The project demonstrates how smart cards are used to authenticate users, preserve data integrity, and create real time information on the health and nutrition services delivered by local health care providers. Kiosks are available at the local Head Start centers, WIC clinics, and other service providers' offices to allow patients to review their health information. By creating "virtual" patient accounts, Head Start health coordinators can better coordinate and manage the health care plans of the children and families served by the program.

Selected grantees include participants in the Health Passport Project (HPP) sponsored by the Western Governors' Association. The goals of the HPP are to create a more cost effective and integrated health-care system, deliver a higher quality of care and improve the health of mothers and children through the secure sharing of timely and relevant health information. To achieve these goals, the HPP develops and demonstrates the use of electronic smart cards. Head Start has been an active supporter and participant of HPP, which is underway and testing whether using smart cards to integrate delivery of an array of state and federal public health services leads to improved health and increased efficiency and client satisfaction.

Through interviews with Head Start parents, community program administration such as Early Period Screening and Diagnostic Testing (EPSDT), Women's and Infants and Children Program (WIC), Public Health, and private clinics, it has been determined that many of the families have previously shared demographic information needed for Head Start enrollment. Of the 450 data fields available in Health Passport, nearly 400 are data fields that apply to Head Start enrollment. The sharing of information among HPP partners increases accuracy and savings of data entry time during the enrollment process.

An ongoing problem common to all Head Start agencies is collecting current immunization records on the children. Health Coordinators and Head Start program staff spend many hours calling other agencies and health facilities in search of medical records including Medicaid and expanded Medicaid Child health screening data. Health Passport cards brought to Head Start by the parent carry an accurate, electronic record of all vaccines that have been administered, the dates, and providers of service. The HPP also supports health care referrals and appointments so that parent compliance with preventative health is improved. In addition, Head Start will be able to review other health and benefit programs the client participates in and refer them to services they are likely to be eligible for but are not currently receiving.

According to Western Governors' Report, July 1999, more than 25,000 smart cards were issued to parents in three Western communities participating in the Health Passport Project, the largest demonstration for state-based, health-related smart cards in the country. After the 18-month demonstration is completed, smart cards that use a computer chip to store health-related information and provide benefits could be employed in other communities across the West and the nation.

"Our first goal is to see whether this technology can improve health care for parents and their children by having accurate, complete records from doctors and public health programs stored in an easy to use, secure smart card," Schafer said. "We also want to determine if the Health Passport can reduce health-care costs - in terms of time and money - for both parents and health-care providers."

The Health Passport is expected to streamline patient check-in, provide up-to-date health information, support referrals among providers, facilitate parent access to immunization and other records, automate patient appointment reminders and promote access to preventative health information.

"The Health Passport is not merely automating existing services, but is changing the whole public health-care paradigm," said Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer, immediate past chairman of WGA. "It is designed to give clients greater responsibility for managing their health care instead of the state. It should also reduce overlap of services and cut down on fraud.

Insuring the confidentiality of patient information was a key factor in designing the system, which gives the cardholder control over access to the card's information through the use of a personal identification number (PIN). A health-care provider will have a separate PIN number, and staff will be issued user cards, which will allow them to view only that information they need to perform their job. For example, an administrative person may have access only to an address, phone number and insurance information, while a doctor will be able to view more complete medical information.

Participants in the demonstration include pregnant women, mothers and children eligible for a number of public health programs, including Medicaid; Immunization; Women, Infants and Children (WIC); Head Start; and Maternal and Child Health services (MCH). The Health Passport is being tested by different public health programs and private partners in each of the participating communities.

The technology and support services for the Health Passport Project is provided by a consortium of companies led by Siemens Information and Communications Networks of Boca Raton, Fla. including Cleverex Systems, Inc.