DC-Net provides a HIPAA-compliant network, enabling community-based health clinics, hospitals, care facilities, senior wellness centers, and residents to connect and access telehealth services, including authenticated connection to patient records, over a dedicated network.
Health IT applications over HIPAA-Net can include:

• Secure transmission of medical images and data for diagnosis or disease management
• Secure transmittal and management of patient electronic health records
• Exchange of health or educational services by groups or individuals via video conference: telemedicine, training, continuing medical education, grand rounds, and patient education
• Advice on prevention of diseases and promotion of good health by patient monitoring and follow up.
• Access to research applications through Internet2, NLR/NLP.
• Administrative meetings via video, web, and audio conference.
• Online information and health data management via secured login over public Internet
• Asset identification, listing, and patient to asset matching and movement
• Prevention, public awareness, immunization, and other major health initiatives through quick broadcast of information; support for the DC Department of Health Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Administration (HEPRA) programs – useful in pandemic, epidemic, and other health crises.

The accompanying diagram shows how HIPAA-Net works. Health clinics, hospitals, the Department of Health, and other health related facilities are connected over the HIPAA-compliant, secure network. Privately owned facilities have access through point-to-point VPN tunnel or over a secured Internet connection. Residents also enter over a secured Internet connection.

Government reports have found the potential benefits of health IT to be enormous. Better access to healthcare services and information results in improved healthcare outcomes and cost savings. Medical errors are reduced and time constraints eliminated when caregivers use health IT to review medical records or order healthcare services. Health IT also enables consumers to better communicate with their providers and manage their personal health, resulting in fewer office visits and better disease management.

Who benefits?

• Hospitals – District and federal government run public, private non-profit
• Community-based health clinics – public and private non-profit
• Senior wellness and nutrition centers
• Senior citizen and nursing homes
• Addiction treatment facilities
• Homeless shelters
• Department of Health administrative offices
• Schools and temporary vaccination clinics
• Fire and Emergency Management Services (FEMS)
• Private health care providers – especially those who treat Medicaid/Medicare patients
• District Residents