Digging into the data

EHR 2.0 is the idea that once certified EHR technology is implemented, a healthcare delivery organization can begin to reap the kind of knowledge and actionable information from its vast stores of data that bend the cost curve and make a real impact on patient outcomes.

This month’s cover story discusses data mining—the art and science of intelligent data analysis to get to those meaningful insights. It also can entail building models that can predict readmissions, risk of disease or efficacy of medications for better clinical decision support, as well as yield insights into quality performance. The ability to conduct effective data mining is the great promise of EHRs and one geared to helping organizations achieve a significant return on their EHR investment.

New models centralize IT operations for multiple hospitals and a “learning healthcare system” should make clinical trials obsolete. Learn more in Laura Pedulli’s cover story.

Also on deck this month is a look inside retail healthcare. National chains such as Walgreens and CVS Caremark have captured the market in a big way and only plan to expand. Read about how these retail outlets are meeting the needs of consumers by offering walk-in appointments, convenience and price transparency.

Another topic I always find interesting is efficiency. Many emergency departments could use a dose of efficiency improvement. Hospitals are conducting pilot projects around the headline-capturing Google Glass and finding ways to reduce wait times, sometimes on a statewide basis. Another important aspect is keeping out those patients who don’t really need emergent care. Learn about the efforts taken by the state of Washington.

Hopefully, the beginning of summer brings forth an opportunity to take some much-deserved time off. We will continue to bring you the latest information and insights regarding federal mandates, innovative practices and other efforts to meet the triple aim. Thank you for reading.