Innovation is More Than the Latest Buzz Word

In the few months since we changed our name to Clinical Innovation + Technology, it seems that innovation in healthcare is everywhere.

Not to be outdone by healthcare systems, publications and conference organizers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Health Care Innovation awards are funding up to $1 billion in grants to applicants who will implement the most compelling new ideas to deliver better health, improved care and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Grants have been awarded to efforts to improve primary care, focus on specific conditions such as asthma and increasing patient engagement, among other initiatives.

Clearly, there’s no shortage of new and expanding ways to use technology to improve healthcare. In this issue’s cover story (page 8), people from several healthcare organizations discuss the opportunities and risks presented by social media. Are you Tweeting and updating your Facebook status? If not, you might be missing out. It’s important to have a presence where your patients are, says Lauren Bailey, MPA, acting director of online communications for the Department of Veterans Affairs. For more and more patients, that’s online. Peruse the story for more on this topic, including what you should consider when developing a social media policy for your organization.

Speaking of technology, “an evolution is occurring,” according to Peter J. Fitzgerald, MD, PhD, co-director of the Center for Research in Cardiovascular Interventions at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, Calif. The next wave of innovation is IT meets medical technology, he predicts, specifically driven by the technological opportunity offered by smartphones, the healthcare-wide push toward prevention and a focus on greater patient engagement (page 38).  

Clinical data repositories (CDRs) are set to have a dramatic impact on the future of healthcare (page 24). Experts predict CDRs will drive future research efforts since researchers can use data already collected to explore a wide range of questions and concerns. Meanwhile, the American Academy of Family Practitioners’ pilot CDR project already is helping primary care providers get a better handle on their patients.

“Innovation” may be the latest buzz word, but with everything going on in healthcare, the term holds a lot of weight. Some people might use the word without much meaning, but the word seems more impactful than ever as healthcare introduces new methods for care, quality and cost control.