From the Editor: New Years Resolutions
Most of us make New Year's resolutions to lose weight, improve our diet, spend more time with our families and other good deeds. More often than not, we start out doing well, but then our efforts taper off after a few weeks.
We may waffle on these resolutions in our personal lives, but CMIOs and healthcare organizations do not have the luxury of failing to meet goals and deadlines on the job. Although implementation of Stage 2 meaningful use recently was delayed until 2014, time marches on. That new deadline will be just around the corner along with others, such as the implementation of ICD-10 in 2013. For guidance from luminaries such as Paul Tang, MD, an article in this issue offers a look at Stage 2 of meaningful use and what you can expect as your prepare for this next stage.
Most likely, you're gearing up for implementations of new systems or initiatives within your own organization, and you will be tasked with overcoming the many obstacles and challenges that surround the meeting of such deadlines. Perhaps you will find inspiration in this month's cover story about health IT best practices. Organizations such as Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa., and Ascension Health in St. Louis share their experiences with implementing IT systems that have improved the quality of care.
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH) at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., is using computerized physician order entry (CPOE) to reduce utilization and improve care. In fact, LPCH is one of the first hospitals to link a decrease in mortality with the implementation of CPOE. Geisinger is developing its own tools to facilitate data collection to improve efficiency and patient outcomes. And, just about all organizations on the leading edge of IT can share valuable advice on gaining the input and enthusiasm of its physicians.
In this issue of CMIO, we also present a look at cloud-based EMRs, which may be a wise choice for your organization with reduced costs and potential benefits of simplicity and quality improvements. Perhaps scribes in the emergency room would improve your physicians' satisfaction while also improving documentation and patient flow.
We anticipate plenty more news and vital information to share in the coming year. CMIO will continue to provide the analysis and best practices you need to keep your organization IT-optimized for 2012 and beyond.
Best wishes to you and yours for the new year.
We may waffle on these resolutions in our personal lives, but CMIOs and healthcare organizations do not have the luxury of failing to meet goals and deadlines on the job. Although implementation of Stage 2 meaningful use recently was delayed until 2014, time marches on. That new deadline will be just around the corner along with others, such as the implementation of ICD-10 in 2013. For guidance from luminaries such as Paul Tang, MD, an article in this issue offers a look at Stage 2 of meaningful use and what you can expect as your prepare for this next stage.
Most likely, you're gearing up for implementations of new systems or initiatives within your own organization, and you will be tasked with overcoming the many obstacles and challenges that surround the meeting of such deadlines. Perhaps you will find inspiration in this month's cover story about health IT best practices. Organizations such as Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa., and Ascension Health in St. Louis share their experiences with implementing IT systems that have improved the quality of care.
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH) at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., is using computerized physician order entry (CPOE) to reduce utilization and improve care. In fact, LPCH is one of the first hospitals to link a decrease in mortality with the implementation of CPOE. Geisinger is developing its own tools to facilitate data collection to improve efficiency and patient outcomes. And, just about all organizations on the leading edge of IT can share valuable advice on gaining the input and enthusiasm of its physicians.
In this issue of CMIO, we also present a look at cloud-based EMRs, which may be a wise choice for your organization with reduced costs and potential benefits of simplicity and quality improvements. Perhaps scribes in the emergency room would improve your physicians' satisfaction while also improving documentation and patient flow.
We anticipate plenty more news and vital information to share in the coming year. CMIO will continue to provide the analysis and best practices you need to keep your organization IT-optimized for 2012 and beyond.
Best wishes to you and yours for the new year.
Beth Walsh,
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.