Palmetto Health named “Most Wired” for the ninth time

For the ninth time, Palmetto Health is being recognized as one of the “Most Wired” organizations by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Palmetto Health is one of only seven “Most Wired” organizations in South Carolina. The hospital system has been named yearly since 2010. Palmetto Health previously won the award in 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

 

According to the survey, technology is improving the efficiency of care delivery and creating a new dynamic in patient interactions, according to results of the 18th Annual Health Care’s Most
Wired® survey, released today by the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Forum.  Most Wired hospitals are using telehealth to fill gaps in care; provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and expand access to medical specialists. This year’s results show:

• The top three telehealth services offered in hospitals are consultations and office visits,

stroke care, and psychiatric examinations and psychotherapy.

• Stroke care is the most rapid growth area for telehealth services up 38 percent from 2015, as evidence-based studies emphasize the time urgency of stroke care.
• More than 25 percent of hospitals use internet-enabled monitoring devices for chronic disease management of congestive heart failure, diabetes and heart disease.

 

In redefining the way that they provide care in their communities, Most Wired hospitals are using technology to build patient engagement with the individual’s lifestyle in mind, which includes electronic access to their care team.

• 68 percent accept patient-generated data through the patient portal.
• 26 percent of Most Wired organizations offer E-visits through a mobile application.
• 61 percent use social media to provide support groups.

 

Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Michelle Edwards is honored that Palmetto Health is listed once again, especially with all the challenges facing health care today. “Our team is involved in so many important system-wide initiatives, including implementing and supporting our population health and telehealth strategies, replacing our legacy telephony system, transitioning to Microsoft O365 solutions, designing IT systems for the new Palmetto Health–USC Medical Group, discovering and designing of IT systems at Palmetto Health Tuomey while we continue to enhance the revenue cycle, participate in strategy development for data analytics, and support critical patient safety and clinical quality initiatives.  With so many priorities, it’s important for us to remain focused on the value IT brings to our organization, our care providers and, ultimately, our patients.”

 

Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA, added, “Hospitals are breaking-out of their traditional four walls and providing care where and when patients need it. These Most Wired hospitals exemplify this transformation by harnessing technology, engaging patients and offering services remotely. And, removing policy and other barriers to telehealth will allow even faster adoption of these amazing technologies.” Most Wired hospitals are utilizing population health management tools and partnering with other health care providers to share critical clinical information used in analyzing interventions aimed at key patient groups, such as those with diabetes.

 

To get patients the right care, hospitals are using predictive modeling to eliminate preventable problems.

• 53 percent interface electronic health record data with population health tools.
• 62 percent stratify patients according to risk.
• 51 percent aggregate data from patient encounters to create a community health record.

 

The versatility of mobile technologies makes it possible for clinicians and care team members to have the right tools for sound clinical decision-making wherever they are: 81 percent of Most Wired hospitals use mobile applications to notify clinicians of sudden changes in patient conditions and correlated events such as falls or respiratory distress or failure. As they build out new capabilities, hospitals are also taking strong actions to ensure health data is secure.

 

• More than 90 percent use intrusion detection systems, privacy audit systems and security incident event management to detect patient privacy breaches, monitor for malicious activities and produce real-time analysis of security alerts.
• 84 percent conduct a third-party security audit annually to ensure that guidelines are followed.

 

HealthCare’s Most Wired® survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, 2016, is published annually by Health & Hospitals Networks (H&HN). The 2016 Most Wired® survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide.

 

The survey of 680 participants, representing an estimated 2,146 hospitals—more than 34 percent of all hospitals in the U.S.—examines how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based health care in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management; quality and safety; and clinical integration.

 

Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of H&HN. For a full list of winners, visit www.hhnmag.com. For more information about Palmetto Health, visit PalmettoHealth.org.

 

 

 

About Palmetto Health
Palmetto Health, the largest health care system and one of the largest employers in South Carolina, is comprised of more than 12,000 team members, physicians and volunteers working together to fulfill Palmetto Health’s Vision: to be remembered by each patient as providing the care and compassion we want for our families and ourselves. The system includes seven acute-care hospitals— Baptist Easley, Palmetto Health Baptist, Palmetto Health Baptist Parkridge, Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital, Palmetto Health Heart Hospital, Palmetto Health Richland and Palmetto Health Tuomey—as well as an expansive physician practice network, dozens of affiliated clinics and specialty care practices and a 501(c)(3) foundation. Recognized nationally as one of the best places to work and receive care, Palmetto Health also trains the next generation of physicians through its 23 residency and fellowship programs affiliated with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. For more information, visit PalmettoHealth.org or call 803-296-CARE (2273).

 

About the American Hospital Association

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit www.aha.org.

 

About Health Forum

Health Forum is a strategic business enterprise of the American Hospital Association, creatively partnering to develop and deliver essential information and innovative services to help health care leaders achieve organizational performance excellence and sustainability. For more information, visit www.healthforum.com