Analytics

NorthShore University Health System is easing and, in certain instances, automating clinical workflows within electronic records to pinpoint high-risk patients and gaps in care using predictive modeling.

For more than a dozen years, Healthcare IT News has chronicled the rapid evolution of healthcare and information technology. With the healthcare industry on the cusp of a transformative new era it is the perfect time for us to bring you a freshly rethought and redesigned website.

Concepts like artificial intelligence and machine learning may seem pretty abstract in healthcare, but experts say the Internet of Things is poised to quickly change that.

The HIMSS Annual Conference has developed many rhythms that are familiar to longtime attendees. But this year’s conference is changing the beat by a couple of steps with a Monday to Friday calendar that provides more time for education and networking on the exhibit hall. The HIMSS16 pre-education day will take place on Monday in Las Vegas, rather than on Sunday as happened in recent years. The opportunities for education at HIMSS16 will be as rich as ever, with 300 sessions covering all of the most essential topics for health IT. And, as you would expect, there will be presentations on a number of new topic areas. Monday’s educational programs will end at 5 pm, clearing the schedule to begin the opening keynote from Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Inc. And immediately following the keynote, the exhibit hall will open with a reception for all attendees, starting at 6:30 p.m.  in Exhibit Hall G.   See all of our HIMSS16 previews Starting Tuesday, the exhibit hall will return to a schedule that will be more familiar to regular attendees, opening at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, closing at 6 p.m. each day except on Thursday when it will close at 4 p.m. (For schedule details, visit http://www.himssconference.org) Two new landmarks will brighten this year’s exhibit hall. You can read more about the Population Health Knowledge Center and the Revenue Cycle Knowledge Center. And the Connected Health Experience is new, combing exhibits and education for Mobile Health, Connected Patient and Games for Health into one area. Networking is always an important part of the HIMSS Annual Conference. One activity growing in popularity is the Women in Health IT Networking Reception, which provides an opportunity to get together in a relaxed setting. Joining the reception will be George Clooney, Bruno Mars, Madonna and other celebrities who will appear as lifelike wax replicas; the event takes place at Madame Tussauds. You may not get an autograph but at least you can take a selfie with the stars. The event requires a $45 registration; it is expected to sell out, so reserve early. For a different type of networking event, sign up for the Super Nap Data Center Tour.  The guided tour includes transportation to one of highest-ranking colocation data centers in the world. And the youngest members of HIMSS will have their own networking opportunity at the Millennials on a Mission Reception. It promises to be a great opportunity to compare notes and build relationships in a casual atmosphere. To stay up to date on everything happening in the weeks leading up to the event and through the event, visit our Destination HIMSS section. Times and Places: Opening Reception, Feb. 29, 6:30 p.m., Exhibit Hall G; Women in Health IT Networking Reception, Mar. 1, 5:30 p.m., Madame Tussauds; Super Nap Data Center Tour, March 3, 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. or 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. Millennials on a Mission Reception, Label Lounge at the Palazzo, March 2, 6:30 p.m. Twitter: @GusVenditto

High-functioning IT systems are crucial to converting a physician practice to a patient-centered medical home model, but only a third of practices examined in a new RAND Corporation study were able manage continuous investments in the necessary technology infrastructure.

Partners HealthCare announced on Monday that it has contracted with QPID Health, whose analytics tools will be integrated with Partners’ Epic-based eCare EHR and other legacy systems to help clinicians make more informed care decisions. Over the next two years, QPID will be rolled out across all 10 Partners' hospitals and associated physician organizations. "Partners HealthCare has made a significant investment in our Epic electronic health record," Jim Noga, CIO, Partners HealthCare System, said in a statement. "QPID's software will be fully integrated with Partners eCare and help ensure that we optimize our investment." [See also: 5 benefits of natural language understanding for healthcare.] QPID Health's “clinical reasoning” tools use natural language processing and machine learning to turn data from EHRs into actionable information, helping to streamline quality reporting, clinical registry submissions and utilization management, according to the company. Massachusetts General Hospital, a Partners co-founder, began using QPID software about 10 years ago. The positive return on investment, reduction of unnecessary cancellations, patient safety increases and CMS bonuses and penalty avoidances drove Partners' decision to integrate all systems with QPID, officials said. "Effectively using patient data for quality reporting and optimal patient outcomes is increasingly important as we move towards value-based care," said Timothy Ferris, MD, vice president of population health at Partners said in a statement. [Like Healthcare IT News on Facebook] QPID "will help to ensure appropriate use of high-cost, high-volume surgical procedures," he added. "This agreement will help provide our physicians with the specific patient information that they need to attest to use of evidence-based guidelines. Not only is this the right thing to do for patients, it also reduces costs where we share risk with government and commercial payers," Ferris said. Twitter: @JessiefDavis

Execs hope deal will turn system developed for UPMC into one that could be adapted for other health systems and hospitals.

Medtronic and IBM applied cognitive analytics to 600 anonymous patient cases using data from Medtronic insulin pumps and glucose monitors.

By leveraging the historical data included in the records, healthcare providers can target patients, populations more than ever.

From population health management to meaningful use, cybersecurity to EHR usability, healthcare will face an array of challenges and opportunities over the next 12 months. Beth Israel Deaconess CIO John Halamka, MD, offers his predictions for 2016.