UMHHC awarded for excellence in information technology

The U-M Hospitals and Health Centers received the 2015 Most Wired™ recognition from the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Forum and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). The award recognizes hospitals and health centers for excellence in adoption, implementation and use of information technology.

“Achieving a robust and secure IT system throughout our institution is a critical component in expanding and strengthening our mission of excellence in patient care, research and medical education,” says Sue Schade, MBA, FHIMSS, FCHIME, chief information officer at UMHHC.

This year’s Most Wired hospitals utilized the benefits of a patient portal to get patients actively involved in their health and healthcare. For instance, 89 percent of Most Wired organizations offer access to a patient portal through a mobile application. Other key findings include:

• 67 percent of Most Wired hospitals offer the ability to incorporate patient-generated data.
• 63 percent offer?self-management tools for chronic conditions.
• 60 percent offer?patient-specific education in multiple languages.

“This recognition is the culmination of many years of dedicated work by staff throughout our health system. Their efforts have continuously made UMHS a national leader in health IT,” says Schade. “We are all part of the extended care team. Together we will continue to enhance patient safety and improve health outcomes.”

The 2015 Most Wired™ survey and benchmarking study measures information technology use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. The survey of more than 741 participants, representing more than 2,213 hospitals, examines how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based healthcare in infrastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration. Released yesterday, the survey found health data security and patient engagement are top priorities for the nation’s hospitals.

“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,” says 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.”

Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of H&HN. For a full list of winners, visit www.hhnmag.com.