Most Wired Hospitals Focus on Security and Patient Engagement
(East Stroudsburg) Health data security and patient engagement are top priorities for the nation’s hospitals. It is with those qualities in mind that Pocono Medical Center was named as one of the most improved hospital systems in the country, according to results of the 17th annual HealthCare’s Most Wired™ survey, released in early July by the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
“Pocono Medical Center is excited to be recognized as a leader in health IT for continuously investing in new opportunities to improve care coordination, access to care, quality, and outcomes through technology,” states Ferd Feola, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Pocono Medical Center.
The survey and benchmarking study, produced in partnership with CHIMEand sponsored by VMware, is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. More than 741 participants, representing more than 2,213 hospitals, were surveyed. The survey examined how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based healthcare in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration.
“With the rising number of patient data breaches and cybersecurity attacks threatening the healthcare industry, protecting patient health information is a top priority for hospital customers,” said Frank Nydam, Senior Director of Healthcare at VMware. “Coupled with the incredible technology innovation taking place today, healthcare organizations need to have security as a foundational component of their mobility, cloud and networking strategy and incorporated into the very fabric of the organization”
As hospitals and health systems begin to transition away from volume-based care to more integrated, value-based care delivery, hospitals are utilizing IT to better facilitate information exchange across the care settings. This includes greater alignment between hospitals and physicians. According to the survey, the physician portal is a key factor in strengthening physician-hospital alignment.“We commend and congratulate this year’s Most Wired hospitals and their CIOs for improving care delivery and outcomes in our nation’s hospitals through their creative and revolutionary uses of technology,” said CHIME CEO and President Russell P. Branzell, FCHIME CHCIO. “These Most Wired organizations represent excellence in IT leadership on the frontlines of healthcare transformation.”
“Congratulations to our nation’s Most Wired hospitals for harnessing the potential of information technology to improve quality care and patient safety and lower health care costs,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “At the forefront of the field, these hospitals are setting the bar for protection of patient data through discerning security measures.”
The survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, 2015, is published annually by Health & Hospitals Network. Respondents completed 741 surveys, representing more than 39 percent of all U.S. hospitals. Last October, the AHA/Health Forum and CHIME announced the formation of a Most Wired partnership to enhance collaboration between the two organizations in the development and sustainability of the survey, and to collectively help meet the growing demand for useful data on health IT integration.
Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of H&HN. For a full list of winners visit HHNMag.com.