Overview

Tap into medical records across care settings

Access the most comprehensive, nationwide data set of patient visit and clinical document locations from across electronic health record (EHR) systems. Record Locator & Exchange leverages the extensive Surescripts network, our comprehensive Master Patient Index and the Carequality interoperability framework so users can see where patients have received care and apply advanced querying capabilities right from their workflows.

2.03 million

connected healthcare professionals and provider organizations1

99%

of the U.S. population represented in our Master Patient Index

1.25 billion

links to clinical document sources exchanged in 20222

A closer look

What can Record Locator & Exchange do for you?

Choose your organization type to see how Record Locator & Exchange can help you eliminate clinical information gaps and enable seamless care coordination.

  • EHR vendors
  • Health plans
  • Health systems
  • Long-term & post-acute care
  • PBMs

More insights, more effective patient interventions

Enable better informed care decisions with the most comprehensive clinical history data available. Make it possible to quickly locate and access clinical records to help unlock safer, higher-quality and lower-cost healthcare. Record Locator & Exchange delivers real-time patient care histories across all care settings, specialties and locations nationwide.

icon facilitate care
Facilitate confident care decisions

Bring care history into focus by showing where patients have been seen with records and information from all connected EHRs.

icon enable proactive care copy
Enable proactive patient care

Equip providers for more informed conversations with greater clinical visibility. Advance access to patient records minimizes the need to rely on patient recall. 

icon enhance care quality
Enhance care quality and coordination

Enable deeper visibility into patient health histories, including visit locations and clinical documentation to fill critical interoperability gaps.

icon power greater continuity
Power greater continuity of care

Eliminate clinical data blind spots with information from anywhere patients are seen. Surface deeper understanding of a patient’s care journey to support decision-making.

How it works for EHR vendors

Integrate Record Locator & Exchange with your EHR.

A single connection allows you to bring patient health records from different locations into your EHR.

A provider is trying to understand a patient’s care history and initiates a request.

Surescripts identifies the patient and queries connected locations to find where else the patient has received care.

The provider can see where the patient received care and what documentation is available.

Record Locator & Exchange returns information on care locations and available clinical records, such as visit summaries.

The provider reviews relevant records and makes an informed care plan with the patient.

By giving providers more context on past care in your EHR, you help them arrive at the right treatment plan faster.

More insights, more effective member interventions

Without access to timely, complete clinical data, it can be easy to miss important opportunities to improve care. Make it easier for care managers to get a more complete picture of members’ health. 

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Automate query and document exchange

Find locations of care for members quickly and easily.

icon enable access
Enable access from your workflow

Get complete clinical history without logging into another system or portal.

icon streamline connection
Streamline connection

Use the common FHIR integration format to connect to more robust records.

icon IHE standards carequality
Use IHE standards for Carequality

Connect to Carequality by leveraging existing IHE profile capabilities.

How it works for health plans

A care manager wants to check on a member’s care to see if intervention is needed.

Record Locator & Exchange queries connected locations to find where else the member has received care.

The care manager can see recent care interactions and what documentation is available.

With the fuller context of the member’s care in view, the care manager can spot any red flags or concerning patterns.

After reviewing relevant records, the care manager plans an informed intervention.

Insight into unexpected care interactions such as emergency visits helps the care manager develop a proactive care plan.

HealthPlans PBMs@2x

More insights, more effective patient interventions

Make better informed care decisions with the most comprehensive clinical history data available. The ability to quickly locate and access clinical records is critical to unlocking safer, higher-quality and lower-cost healthcare. Record Locator & Exchange delivers real-time patient care histories from multiple care settings, specialties and locations nationwide, regardless of EHR.

icon accurate complete care
Get accurate, complete care histories

Pull outside information into your EHR so clinicians can view where patients have been seen beyond your health system, including clinical and medication histories.

icon enhance care
Enhance care management

Offer providers insights into patient care events that wouldn’t otherwise be seen within their electronic workflow.

icon right patient
Find the right patient

Locate clinical information without knowing where to look or sifting through pages of results. Our comprehensive Master Patient Index and directories connect providers nationwide. 

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Coordinate care with efficiency and resilience

Get greater clinical visibility to better address risk measures, reduce unnecessary costs and simplify workflows. The result is a better experience for clinicians and patients.

How it works for health systems

Your team is trying to understand a patient’s care history and initiates a request.

Surescripts identifies the patient and queries connected locations to find where else the patient has received care.

Clinicians can see where the patient received care and what documentation is available.

Record Locator & Exchange returns information on care locations and available clinical records, such as visit summaries.

Your team reviews relevant records and makes an informed care plan with the patient.

With more context on past care in their workflow, care teams can arrive at the right treatment plan faster.

Get a fuller picture of patient clinical history

With a more accurate and timely view of the patient’s care journey, your care team can improve outcomes, reduce unnecessary costs and enhance the care experience for clinicians and patients.

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Improve intake efficiency

See where patients have received care and tap into clinical history from all connected care locations, including Carequality.

icon create visibility
Create clinical visibility

Supply a complete view of patient medication and clinical history at the point of care to aid in care coordination and help prevent patient safety issues.

icon enable proactive care
Enable proactive patient care

Eliminate the need to rely heavily on patient recall with advance access to patient records. Greater clinical visibility equips providers for more informed conversations.

icon simplify interoperability
Simplify interoperability

Use a single point of connection to health systems, pharmacies and payers across the U.S. who count on Surescripts’ industry-leading reliability, security and scalability.

How it works for long-term & post-acute care

Make clinical history immediately available in your EHR during intake.

Configure your EHR to automatically query Record Locator & Exchange for incoming patients.

Enable providers to see details of previous care, wherever it was delivered.

Show where patients have been seen beyond their primary location, pulling information from all connected EHRs.

Providers can review clinical documents for a more informed care plan.

When clinical records are available, Record Locator & Exchange notifies the provider to review in the EHR.

EHRVendors HealthSytems LongTermCare@2x

More insights, more effective patient interventions

Without access to timely, complete clinical data, it can be easy to miss important opportunities to improve care. Use the most comprehensive health record data available to empower safer, higher-quality and lower-cost healthcare. 

icon automate query
Automate query and document exchange

Find locations of care for members quickly and easily.

icon enable access
Enable access from your workflow

Get to complete clinical history without having to use another system or portal.

icon streamline connection
Streamline connection

Use the common FHIR integration format to connect to more robust records.

icon IHE standards carequality
Use IHE standards for Carequality

Connect to Carequality by leveraging existing IHE profile capabilities.

How it works for PBMs

Check on a member’s care to see if intervention is needed.

Record Locator & Exchange queries connected locations to find where else the member has received care.

View recent care interactions and what documentation is available.

With the fuller context of the member’s care in view, the care manager can spot any red flags or concerning patterns.

Identify and inform opportunities for intervention.

Insight into unexpected care interactions such as emergency visits helps develop a proactive care plan.

HealthPlans PBMs@2x
Success Stories

Real-world results

“Record Locator & Exchange is turbocharging the information we receive about patients as we’re seeing them. It just makes it really easy to do the right thing.”

Dr. Nitu Kashyap Associate Chief Medical Information Officer, Yale New Haven Health

“Not having to chase patients down by phone has been life-changing. Now, I don’t have to rely on the patient. I turn to Surescripts first.”

Maggie Shalagan Lead Preventive Health Coordinator, Northeast Medical Group

“Using already accepted standards, with a huge patient base and a viable provider base, you automatically have the backbone for success, where you can have the kind of interoperability you need pretty quickly.”

Robert Barker Vice President of Community Connectivity, NextGen Healthcare
FAQs

Find out more about Record Locator & Exchange

What kind of information can be accessed through Record Locator & Exchange?

Record Locator & Exchange provides demographic information to ensure proper identification and matching. A typical clinical document shared between healthcare providers includes allergies, medications, diagnoses, immunizations, family/medical/surgical/social history, test results, discharge information, vital signs and providers’ progress notes.

Who has access to visit locations and records?

Healthcare organizations currently providing treatment or managing ongoing care can request information about previous treatment locations. Record Locator & Exchange will provide that information and assist with retrieving records from those previous visits.

What types of organizations can take advantage of this opportunity?

EHR vendors, health systems, health plans and PBMs alike can benefit from the core functions of Record Locator & Exchange.

Does Record Locator & Exchange use FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources)?

FHIR’s inclusion in the Promoting Interoperability Programs Certification requirements will help push the standard forward in the EHR community and shows great promise. Surescripts has been supporting a FHIR-based integration for clinical document exchange for several years through Record Locator & Exchange. It provides a clear path to document exchange today for technology partners and other organizations needing to connect to the Carequality Interoperability Framework without having to implement IHE transactions.

What information does Surescripts store?

Surescripts stores basic demographic information, provided by healthcare providers, for purposes of patient matching and identification. Patient demographics include:

  • Patient ID / Medical Record Number
  • Patient name: First, middle, last, prefix, suffix
  • Patient Address line 1 & 2
  • Patient city, state, zip
  • Patient date of birth
  • Patient gender
Insights

Keep pace with healthcare innovation

Footnotes
  1. Surescripts, “2022 National Progress Report,” March 2023
  2. Surescripts, “2022 National Progress Report,” March 2023.
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