Healthcare informatics : the business magazine for information and communication systems
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Smaller and rural hospitals face particular challenges in terms of matching the needed financial and human resources to the task of achieving meaningful use. Nonetheless, some smaller and rural hospitals have made surprising progress towards meeting the 2011 meaningful use criteria. Data reporting requirements under meaningful use will be particularly challenging for this type of hospital; engaging clinicians, especially physicians, in coming together to meet the challenges early on, will be critical to success.
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Leading-edge organizations are leveraging ICU telemonitoring to more effectively monitor critical care patients at satellite locations from a central hub. While little objective data is available to support the efficacy of elCUs, some organizations are seeing marked improvements in factors like length of stay, which has led to cost savings. ⋯ ClOs need to ensure that a proper network is in place to support communications--both audio and video--and if necessary, to upgrade the connection. Advanced organizations are utilizing eICU functionality to produce reports and sophisticated analysis.
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Distributing surveys to both leaders and staff can determine how issues like safety are perceived throughout an organization. Having leaders "adopt" units and serve as advocates for the staff can improve the delivery care throughout an organization. Safety programs often go hand-in-hand with large-scale IT implementations. Leadership engagement with clinicians' concerns can lead to a greater sense of team and to a more effective exchange of ideas.
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Lab directors usually choose best of breed. CIOs usually choose enterprise solutions. An integrated LIS may really be just interfaced. KLAS LIS Perception Report is planned for November.