Financial constraints have hindered implementation of electronic records, interoperable systems and patient access in many countries and within many acute hospitals, according to John Rayner, Regional Director – Europe and Latin America, HIMSS Analytics.
He points out that the vast majority of health economies are tasked with creating comprehensive electronic records to support transfers of care and care away from the hospital environment. EHR use has become even more relevant as expectations of modern technologies continue to grow — with patients and citizens finally having some expectation of this technology being present in the healthcare environment.
Health IT Leaders
Hospital CIOs will need to be bold and courageous during this time of digital transformation. "It is a brave Executive Team who agrees to a significant investment in the current environment," Rayner asserts. "Equally, it is a brave one who ignores the ability of technology to be a potential game changer."
The CIO will need to have the skills to manage effective stakeholder relations across an entire health economy becoming the facilitative glue that sticks organisations together, meanwhile being more proactive in leading in digital transformation.
"The CIO must be capable of taking clinicians and possibly patients and citizens with them," the HIMSS official says. "The ability to manage the external environment is more important than being able to manage within the walls of the hospital. This will be the challenge for 2016."
The Continuity of Care Conundrum
The ability to assess levels of digital maturity across an entire health economy will benefit health IT leaders as they "measure up" to the challenge of not only establishing relationships across the whole health economy but making the technology work as well.
The HIMSS Continuity of Care Digital Maturity Model (CCMM), Rayner says, can help those with a whole systems perspective understand the importance of becoming more digitally mature together rather than one part of the system (primary care in some countries — secondary care in others) leaving the rest of the system behind.
When organisations are committed to working together, they will often exhibit a common commitment to share information, a willingness to transfer care, single assessment processes and absolute clarity on clinical responsibility at all stages of the patient journey, Rayner explains. "Whilst this environment does exist in many parts of Europe it remains a ‘pipe dream’ for the rest of us and something that we need to strive for in 2016," he adds.
Source: HIMSS Europe
Image credit: Flickr.com
He points out that the vast majority of health economies are tasked with creating comprehensive electronic records to support transfers of care and care away from the hospital environment. EHR use has become even more relevant as expectations of modern technologies continue to grow — with patients and citizens finally having some expectation of this technology being present in the healthcare environment.
Health IT Leaders
Hospital CIOs will need to be bold and courageous during this time of digital transformation. "It is a brave Executive Team who agrees to a significant investment in the current environment," Rayner asserts. "Equally, it is a brave one who ignores the ability of technology to be a potential game changer."
The CIO will need to have the skills to manage effective stakeholder relations across an entire health economy becoming the facilitative glue that sticks organisations together, meanwhile being more proactive in leading in digital transformation.
"The CIO must be capable of taking clinicians and possibly patients and citizens with them," the HIMSS official says. "The ability to manage the external environment is more important than being able to manage within the walls of the hospital. This will be the challenge for 2016."
The Continuity of Care Conundrum
The ability to assess levels of digital maturity across an entire health economy will benefit health IT leaders as they "measure up" to the challenge of not only establishing relationships across the whole health economy but making the technology work as well.
The HIMSS Continuity of Care Digital Maturity Model (CCMM), Rayner says, can help those with a whole systems perspective understand the importance of becoming more digitally mature together rather than one part of the system (primary care in some countries — secondary care in others) leaving the rest of the system behind.
When organisations are committed to working together, they will often exhibit a common commitment to share information, a willingness to transfer care, single assessment processes and absolute clarity on clinical responsibility at all stages of the patient journey, Rayner explains. "Whilst this environment does exist in many parts of Europe it remains a ‘pipe dream’ for the rest of us and something that we need to strive for in 2016," he adds.
Source: HIMSS Europe
Image credit: Flickr.com
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healthmanagement, health IT, technology, electronic records, EHR, patient experience, IT leadership
Financial constraints have hindered implementation of electronic records, interoperable systems and patient access in many countries and within many acute hospitals, according to John Rayner, Regional Director – Europe and Latin America, HIMSS Analytics.
