Analytics

The partners also plan to commercialize the technology in the second quarter of 2019.

The cloud-based managed graph database service allows health systems and life sciences companies to more easily manage connected datasets for application development.

HIMSS’ latest cybersecurity report highlights the continued Meltdown and Spectre threats that first appeared in early 2018, while outlining how hackers can easily exploit healthcare’s legacy systems.

Tampa General's new partnership with GE Healthcare is the most recent example of Artificial Intelligence-driven care coordination centers that harmonize patient safety and quality improvement initiatives.

Achieving Stage 7, the top stage, in the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model is quite a feat. It shows that a healthcare provider organization is playing at the top of its game in health IT. Children's Mercy Kansas City has achieved HIMSS Stage 7 on the ambulatory side, joining an elite group of just 10.8 percent of health systems. The achievement comes with many benefits. Achieving HIMSS Stage 7 required significant buy-in and collaboration from clinical and business leaders across the organization, said David Chou, chief information and data officer at Children's Mercy Kansas City. "The stakeholders were required to unite around utilizing best practices in workflow and technology and renew the commitment to continuous process and technology improvements in order to pursue a safe, high-quality care for our patients and achieve this designation," he said. "Physician, nursing, pharmacy, quality improvement, regulatory and compliance, radiology, HIM, decision support, and information systems and medical informatics leaders were a part of the core team that reviewed requirements, ensured risks were mitigated and that staff was prepared for the HIMSS Stage 7 discussions," Chou explained. That common understanding of goals reinforced the health system's commitment to being united in its commitment to improve safety and quality of care for patients, he added. EHR implementation continues to be a journey instead of a destination. Through projects such as the Stage 7 work, the hospital is able to reinforce the message in its organization that constantly improving process and technology leads to better patient care and operational efficiencies, Chou said. "By building processes and a culture to support continuous optimization of our digital tools, we have streamlined workflows for staff, implemented tools that put our patients at the forefront and improved our quality of care, which has resulted in significant improvements of our outcomes and patient experience," he explained. "Clinical leaders and business leaders see the value in continuous improvement after the project and are supporting additional improvements that will drive an improved patient experience," he added. Children's Mercy Kansas City is ahead when it comes to leveraging analytics and dashboards to drive clinical decisions and to the adoption and integration of technology. "As a result of implementing technology that allowed us to achieve HIMSS Level 7, we are well-positioned to adapt to the many demands of healthcare reform and coming changes in payment models," said Chou. "As a LEAN organization, we have been focused on True North success metrics for all areas of the hospital and building a culture of data-driven decision making." With the technology implemented to support these initiatives, the distinction of achieving Stage 7 has been a benefit, he added. Children's Mercy Kansas City is now working on achieving HIMSS Stage 7 for its inpatient side, said Laura Fitzmaurice, chief medical information officer. "We currently are evaluating our gaps with the newly released requirements," she said. .jumbotron{ background-image: url("http://www.himss.org/sites/himssorg/files/u351641/BigData-Forum2-June2018-712.jpg"); background-size: cover; color: white; } .jumbotron h2{ color: white; } Big Data & Healthcare Analytics Forum The San Francisco forum to focus on utilizing data to make a real impact on costs and care June 13-14. Twitter: @SiwickiHealthIT Email the writer: bill.siwicki@himssmedia.com

Hospitals are shaping always-on consumer experiences with cutting-edge digital health tools to access care.

The dashboard can help health systems manage the stringent privacy rules of the EU's looming General Data Protection Regulation, which goes into effect this week.

Convincing the C-suite that there's ROI in projects that may seem intangible is a necessary skill to drive success in accountable care.

As the healthcare sector continues to shift into value-based care and consumers become more involved in the care process, telemedicine and big data will continue to hold a crucial role in advancing patient care. Telemedicine has developed from a “shiny new toy” to “the standard of doing care,” said Lisa Schmitz Mazur, a partner at McDermott Will and Emery, who co-authored the book The Law of Digital Health with Bernadette Broccolo, also a partner at the law firm.  “Telemedicine is really becoming a significant game-changer,” said Mazur. What the 2018 HIMSS US Compensation Survey Results Mean for Women in Health IT Not only will providers use the tool to deliver care -- like telemedicine and tele-psychiatry, but patients are also demanding it and expecting it, said Mazur. “Providers are fueling the expansion.” Doctors, too, are excited about where those opportunities lie and exploring areas where telemedicine can make an impact, she added. Particularly in the area of behavioral health and chronic disease, telemedicine can provide a method to better manage those conditions. “It’s changing the standard of care,” Broccolo said, in agreement. Mazur added that real opportunities exist and hospitals that ignore the possibilities may ultimately expose themselves to risk by not meeting standards of care.  For Broccolo, big data is the other dimension in digital health. While already prominent with EHRs and health information exchanges, big data can be wholly beneficial in the cancer space to accelerate the use of precision medicine and molecular profiling to predict the onset of disease. “The cancer-side of big data is going to expand quickly,” said Broccolo. “The new applications will make data even more valuable than it was before.” Coding and new algorithms will help add depth to the data, as well as collaborations around the development of the information, she explained. But a lack of standards around the data are hindering its use. “Those challenges are being exacerbated by the fact the data is coming from a lot more sources and it’s often unstructured -- as opposed to EHR data,” said Broccolo. “And in particular, the data coming in through consumers … something you’re not as sure of the integrity.” But despite these challenges, there are disruptors and innovators bringing together leading players that are creating these structured stores of data, explained Broccolo. They’re applying the tech to create a pretty robust data set. At the end of the day, what will make the biggest impact on the industry is any solution that is patient facing, said Mazur. “The engagement,” said Mazur. “It’s getting the patient to use the solution as part of their daily life. It needs to be something they build into their daily routines. A lack of engagement, slower user levels limit effectiveness: meaning, reams don’t have the info they need to see if a product works. We need that data in order to get that solution to the next level -- or just perform what it needs to do.” .jumbotron{ background-image: url("http://www.himss.org/sites/himssorg/files/u351641/BigData-Forum2-June2018-712.jpg"); background-size: cover; color: white; } .jumbotron h2{ color: white; } Big Data & Healthcare Analytics Forum The San Francisco forum to focus on utilizing data to make a real impact on costs and care June 13-14. Twitter: @JessieFDavis Email the writer: jessica.davis@himssmedia.com

Health IT can often contribute to frustrations, but smart and well-designed technology can offload work, streamline processes and generally make nurses' lives easier.