Encounter Notification Service (ENS)®

ENS provides subscribers with timely notifications about their patient’s healthcare encounters.

What is ENS?®

ENS® provides real-time notice of patient health care encounters from acute and post-acute care facilities across Florida. These health care facilities send admit-discharge-transfer (ADT) messages in real-time and ENS® compares them to patient lists provided by subscribing health care organizations. When a listed patient receives care at a participating facility, subscribers receive an alert containing details about that patient’s health encounter.

What is ENS?®

ENS® provides real-time notice of patient health care encounters from acute and post-acute care facilities across Florida. These health care facilities send admit-discharge-transfer (ADT) messages in real-time and ENS® compares them to patient lists provided by subscribing health care organizations. When a listed patient receives care at a participating facility, subscribers receive an alert containing details about that patient’s health encounter.

ENS Benefits

Optimize Financial Performance

Knowing when a patient requires post-discharge care is a vital tool to enhance revenue through value-based contracting arrangements.

i

CMS CoP Compliance

Meets the requirements under the Interoperability & Patient Access Final Rule for all hospitals to send encounter notifications to a patient’s care team.

Improve Care Coordination

Clinicians and care managers can receive real-time ENS notifications about hospitalizations and direct patients to the most appropriate care settings.

Reduce Avoidable Utilization

When providers and other member’s of a patient’s care team know when and where encounters occur resources can be delivered more efficiently and effectively.

Improve Patient Satisfaction

ENS improves communications and helps providers direct their patients to more streamlined care leading to greater patient engagement and satisfaction.

Meaningful Use Compliance

Enables the automatic routing of discharge summaries from hospitals in a manner compliant with MU requirements for Transitions of Care. 

ENS Frequently Asked Questions

Who can subscribe to ENS?

Health care entities who meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Covered Entity requirements to access patient health information are eligible to subscribe to ENS alerts. Currently hospitals, provider practices, skilled nursing facilities, behavioral health organizations, home health, ACOs, and health plans are receiving ENS services.

How are patients lists created?

Subscribing organizations provide a panel (list) of patients for whom they have appropriate authorization and wish to receive encounter alerts. The patient panel template and specifications will be provided during the onboarding process and can also be found in the ENS Resources section below. Organizations acting as data sources and subscribers may also opt to “auto-subscribe” the creation of their patient panel via their ADT interface. ENS also offers the option for subscribers to create patient lists using an auto-subscription function.

How do I receive alerts?

Alerts are delivered to subscribers in a variety of formats, including a .CSV file or any other healthcare industry format via an SFTP site or VPN/TLS, Direct Messaging within an EHR or other messaging service, and/or through our web-based portal, ENS PROMPT.

Do I need to get my patient's permission?

Yes, your organization will need appropriate authorization to access a patient’s health information before including that individual on your patient list for ENS. 

How long does it take to receive an alert after a patient encounter occurs?

ENS receives admit-discharge-transfer (ADT) messages from health care facilities in real-time. ENS can send notifications within moments of an encounter being recorded in the treating facility’s electronic health record (EHR) system. Subscribers also have the option of receiving notifications in a batch format.

Is there a cost for ENS?

It is always free to contribute data to ENS as a data source if your organization meets the requirements. To subscribe or receive ENS alerts there is discounted and standard rates per organization type. Please review the standard ENS Subscription Agreement or Pricing Guide for details in the ENS Resources section below.

How do I make changes to my ENS Account?

Subscribers can modify how they receive data by completing the Configuration Change Form.

Can I be a data source for ENS?

Currently ENS accepts hospital, skilled nursing facilities, acute behavioral health facilities, and Emergency Management Services (EMS), as well as home health and hospice on a case-by-case basis as data sources. If you are interested in becoming a data source, please contact us at FLHIE_info@ainq.com

How do I sign up for ENS?

To get started, review the standard ENS Subscription Agreement and ENS Onboarding Checklist and contact us at FLHIE_info@ainq.com with questions about the service or the documentation linked above.