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February 22, 2014 12:00 AM

HIMSS aims to transform healthcare

Carla Smith
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    Carla Smith is executive vice president of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

    The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is on a purposeful journey toward a highly desirable goal: the positive transformation of health and healthcare through the best use of information technology.

    That means that for every patient-clinician encounter, the right information is available at the right time to the right people so the right decisions are made, all without breaking the bank.

    This is a marathon; not a sprint. I've been in the health IT field since 1991 and have been part of a relentless quest for better and more cost-effective patient outcomes using IT. This is really tough territory. Harnessing the power of IT to keep patients safe and return them to health—all within desirable financial models—is not for the faint of heart. This isn't like re-tooling for a new car model; it concerns human beings, with all their complexities. But I am encouraged by the remarkable progress I have witnessed.

    Many providers are already using IT in increasingly sophisticated ways. Data from HIMSS Analytics, our market research business unit, indicate a significant number of hospitals have moved to advanced stages of electronic health-record adoption, specifically since the first meaningful-use payments were processed in May 2011.

    More hospitals now operate in a paperless environment, have real-time data flow between the emergency department and the rest of the hospital, and securely transmit data internally and externally.

    Many ambulatory settings are also increasing their IT use. HIMSS Analytics is also tracking IT use within 20,000-plus U.S. ambulatory-care settings. We recently released the first findings from this ongoing study; more than 10% of these clinical offices have a tethered patient portal, using computerized practitioner order entry, electronic messaging and personal health records.

    I can envision a future in which we've largely moved beyond basic IT implementation. We've already started focusing on innovative options such as remote physician-patient consultations to improve access to care, as well as wearable devices monitoring health-status variables from blood sugar to fluid retention to a person's gait.

    Our mission to transform health through the best use of IT has taken years, and isn't done yet. I look forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders, as we continue on our life's work.

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    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
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      • Digital Health
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Unwell in America
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
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