University Health System Named "Most Wired" Hospital
AND among top 12 hospitals in U.S. for using electronic medical records
(SAN ANTONIO – August 4, 2008) High-tech hospitals deliver better outcomes for patients according to the findings of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study. And, for the first time in the study’s ten-year history, a San Antonio hospital - University Health System - has been recognized as one of the 100 Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems in the nation.
Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, the journal of the American Hospital Association, conducted the study, which focuses on how the nation’s hospitals use information technology for quality, customer service, public health, safety, business processes and workforce issues. “Health (information technology) IT has shown incredible promise in helping us improve the quality and safety of the care hospitals deliver every day,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association.
"We put the patient first in every decision we make, so our commitment to integrating the latest technologies at University Hospital, and across our network of community clinics, is first and foremost about delivering the highest quality of care possible," said George B. Hernández, Jr., University Health System president/CEO. "We are certainly proud to be way ahead of the curve on the use of electronic medical records and computerized physician order entry but, more importantly, this investment is paying off for our patients."
Electronic health records and digitalized radiology, lab and pharmacy data are examples of health information technology (HIT) that minimize response time and obstacles to care. For example, when a University Health System patient arrives for a clinic appointment at any location, the medical staff can access the patient’s complete medical record via computer. They can see digital images such as x-rays, CTs and MRIs, as well as all lab results. Any allergies or possible drug interactions are noted immediately.
"The benefit is even more dramatic when an unconscious patient arrives in the Emergency Center," added Bill Phillips, University Health System’s vice president of Information Services. "If that person has been previously treated at any University Health System location, vital information is immediately available to help in diagnosing and treatment."
University Health System is the only San Antonio health system to receive this recognition. Texas Health Resources in Arlington, Children's Medical Center in Dallas, as well as Memorial Hermann and Methodist Hospital in Houston were the other Texas hospitals to be designated as Most Wired.
This recognition for University Health System comes on the heels of another significant technology accolade. Last month, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) announced results of another study which found University Health System to be one of 12 hospitals with the highest level of HIT development in the nation. The study included 5,084 hospitals and ranked each facility’s HIT development and HIMSS' Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Adoption Model on a scale of zero to seven. No hospitals had yet achieved Stage 7 integration, and only 12 were found to be at Stage 6. “University Health System is extremely close to meeting the requirements for Stage 7,” added Phillips.
HIMSS also found that one-third of the hospitals in the U.S. are not even at the foundation for having electronic medical records. "This will make it difficult to achieve President Bush’s goal of electronic health records for every American by 2014," said Dave Garets, president and CEO of HIMSS Analytics.
University Health System began integrating its electronic medical record system in March 2006, and the use of paper orders and records has been dramatically reducing each year since. Phillips estimates 5.5 million orders and 11 million notes will be entered into the heath system’s electronic medical record system in 2008.
More information on HIMSS Analytics' stages of EMR Adoption is available online at www.himssanalytics.org/hc_providers/emr_adoption.asp. More information on the Most Wired Survey is available at www.hhnmag.com.
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