EMR/EHR

Dr. Jim Levin was both a clinical informatics pioneer and a true mensch. Well do I remember the first time I met him, four years ago, when in the spring of 2009, as I was meeting with executives and leaders from across the UPMC health system in Pittsburgh, to find out what UPMC leaders were doing to leverage information technology for systemic performance improvement.

Recently, I participated in medical grand rounds at several hospitals. The primary topics of all these grand rounds were focused on delivering better care. One of these sessions was presented on the topic of coaching, something I have blogged about in the past to help advance the acceptance and use of HIT. Case in point, a physician I spoke with contended that the net of HIT applications was negative for both patient and provider satisfaction. I contend this is why some non-IT related behaviors, like coaching, are now receiving new and overdue attention. But are we doing enough?

On Feb. 7, public officials and healthcare IT leaders gathered in Manhattan to celebrate the ongoing success of a New York City IT initiative. Among those speaking were New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari, M.D., and CDC Director Thomas Frieden, M.D.

Recently, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) announced they are teaming up to improve data collection in electronic health records (EHRs) through a set of standardized data elements and definitions for the clinical management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and coronary artery disease (CAD).

Leaders at MD Anderson, a Houston-based cancer treatment and research center, went the unconventional route in getting a meaningful use certified EMR. They self-developed one. Thanks to a simulation tool that visualized clinical applications, they were able to do this in a way that made life easier for the development team and the clinician stakeholders.