CHIME designated UC Health for 2018 Most Wired recognition at the CHIME Fall CIO Forum in San Diego on Friday. The organization also ranked UC Health top among Ohio health systems for interoperability.
“At UC Health, we use cutting-edge technology every day to advance science and the delivery of care for our patients and employees,” said Jay Brown, senior vice president and chief information officer for UC Health. “This includes protecting our patients’ data, improving connections among our employees and providers, and using advances such as telehealth and virtual visits to help improve patients’ care and quality of life. We are proud that these efforts have again been recognized by CHIME.”
The most successful healthcare organizations not only adopt technology but apply it strategically to achieve great outcomes, according to an analysis of this year’s CHIME HealthCare’s Most Wired survey results.
The organization’s annual survey evaluates hospitals and health systems in eight categories, from IT infrastructure to patient engagement. Among the criteria: whether medications are tracked and administered using a RFID or barcode system; whether mobile apps, telehealth services and/or remote visits are available to patients; the steps taken to make the health system’s technological infrastructure secure; and the level of integration of electronic health records.
“Healthcare IT has the potential to revolutionize care around the world, but to meet that potential it must be used strategically,” said Russell Branzell, president and CEO of CHIME. “The technology is important, but leadership and a strategic vision are equally important. The diversity of the organizations that earned Most Wired status this year shows quality care can be achieved almost anywhere under the right leadership. By sharing the best practices in Most Wired, we hope quality care will one day be available everywhere.”
The Most Wired report found two key areas that emerged in 2018: the use of foundational technologies such as integration, interoperability, security and disaster recovery; and the use of transformational technologies to support population health management, value-based care, patient engagement and telehealth. These foundational pieces need to be in place for an organization to leverage tools to effectively transform healthcare, CHIME found.
CHIME HealthCare’s Most Wired, now in its 20th year, traditionally tracked the adoption of healthcare IT in hospitals and health systems. CHIME took over the Most Wired program and revised the survey questions and methodology this year to highlight strengths and gaps in the industry. The goal is to identify best practices and promote the strategic use of healthcare IT to elevate the health and care of communities around the world.