Creating Electronic Health Record Systems with InterSystems HealthShare® HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
The Fast Path to Connected Healthcare
Joel F. Richman, InterSystems Corporation

 Make the Vision of IDNs, RHIOs and Health Information Networks a Reality HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
dbMotion is the award-winning provider of the proven dbMotion™ Solution for interoperability and secure health information exchange.

 Healthcare Collaborative Spearheads Adoption of EHRs in Massachusetts HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
A forward-thinking nonprofit company is funding pilot projects in three Massachusetts communities to prove the worth of ubiquitous adoption of electronic health records, embedded decision support and health information exchange.
Micky Tripathi, Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative

 InterSystems Corporation: The leading provider of application platforms for connected healthcare. HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
InterSystems is the premier provider of healthcare application platforms, with its products used by most of the world’s major hospitals and labs, including America’s 10 best hospitals as rated by U.S. News and World Report. The InterSystems Ensemble® rapid integration platform was ranked the #1 interface engine in 2006 by KLAS.

 Making the Case: An Evolutionary Strategy to Achieve Interoperability HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
I’m not suggesting that these efforts were ill-advised or ill-conceived. But as I’ve analyzed these initiatives, it has become apparent to me that there may well be a different, strategic approach that can accomplish the interoperability many integrated delivery networks seek and that can bypass many of the innate barriers that have largely stymied these efforts to date. I call this an “evolutionary” or “stepping stone” approach to interoperability.

 Q&A With Carol Diamond HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
The managing director of the health program at the Markle Foundation explains why public trust is essential to the successful exchange of electronic health information – and how we can build it.
Carol Diamond, Markle Foundation

 Q&A With Daniel Nigrin HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
Practicing physician and IT innovator Dr. Daniel Nigrin discusses his experiences at Children’s Hospital Boston and the special challenges that face the pediatric specialty.
Daniel Nigrin, Children's Hospital Boston

 Q&A With Gregg Malkary HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
One of the nation’s leading healthcare consultants assesses current IT trends and takes a high tech peek into the future.
Gregg Malkary, Spyglass Consulting Group

 Q&A With Jay Srini HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
An evolving area of healthcare technology pertaining to consumer-enabling and patient-enabling technologies is sometimes referred to as “pervasive healthcare” or “unbound healthcare.” The fundamental premise is that healthcare has to follow the patient and not vice versa. In other words, care is provided in a distributed healthcare ecosystem whether the patient is at home, at the workplace or at a longterm care facility.
Jay Srini, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

 One Version of the Truth: Driving Enterprise Performance HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Business Objects is the world's leading business intelligence software company. Our technology solutions enable health care organizations to track, understand, and manage enterprise performance, leveraging the information that is stored in an array of corporate databases, enterprise resource planning, and customer relationship management systems.
Alan Probert, Business Objects

 Q&A With Stephen Lieber HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
The president and CEO of HIMSS discusses his organization’s efforts in driving America’s move toward an interoperable healthcare system.
Stephen Lieber, HIMSS

 Build Eisenhower’s Highway System for Today’s Needs HCT Project Volume 4, January 30, 2007
A modernized, interconnected healthcare system would electronically link physician offices, hospitals, pharmacies, public health agencies and other key first responders, providing valuable data to prepare for and respond to an emergency.
David Merritt, Center for Health Transformation

 Benchmarking Toward Excellence HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
The Medical Center of Central Georgia (MCCG) recognized the value of benchmarking as a means to achieve national levels of excellence, but it had experienced inconsistent results with early attempts to drive change and improve across the organization. MCCG wanted to implement a robust operational and clinical benchmarking program. Its objectives were to build on the organization’s previous successes and to lay a solid foundation to measure future performance so that executives and management could ensure that they were meeting their targets. With the goal of re-attaining 100 Top Hospitals® status within one year, MCCG engaged Solucient® Professional Services to revitalize its ACTION O-ITM program. MCCG had been named a Solucient 100 Top Hospitals National award winner in 1993, and a 100 Top Hospitals Cardiovascular winner in 1999 and 2001.

 Building an EHR: Goals, Challenges and Tactics HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Unless significant coordinated efforts are undertaken by all parties in the health industry, the ability for different providers to electronically store and exchange health-related information will not exist.
Peter Kongstvedt, M.D., Accenture, Lewis Redd, Accenture, John Quinn, Accenture

 Catholic Health Initiatives - Developing an Enterprise Web-Based Knowledge Management System HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) is a $6.7 billion national not-for-profit health care organization consisting of 69 hospitals; 43 long-term care, assisted and independent living and residential facilities; and five community-based health organizations located in 19 states.

 Geisinger Health System - On the leading edge of the Electronic Health Record revolution HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Imagine: an orthopedist sets a woman’s fractured arm 150 miles from her home clinic. Within minutes, her local facility is able to view the clinical images, patient records, and billing information. This access is extremely helpful when she goes to her own doctor to get the cast removed six weeks later. And because her records are accessible system-wide, it also makes it easier for her to get invoice copies and make payments at the facility of her choice. That kind of instant, secure access to medical information has been the holy grail of healthcare for years. And with the federal government’s recent mandate that all U.S. healthcare providers implement Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems by 2015, the challenge is even more daunting. Working with Vignette, Geisinger is already there.

 National Trends in Healthcare Consumerism: The Responsive Healthcare Consumer HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Past annual reports from Solucient have explored a variety of unique segments of the population — proactive healthcare consumers, influential healthcare consumers and quality-conscious consumers. This year's goal was to identify and examine one of the most important consumer segments studied to date: responsive healthcare consumers. Marketers in industries such as retail, financial services and travel have recognized for decades the importance of creating and maintaining relationships with consumers. In fact, close examination reveals that many of the largest national and international companies have shifted their marketing mix over the last five to 10 years to include much more direct-to-consumer and interactive marketing. These companies recognize that their challenge is not just to identify people who may want or need their products or services, but also to get these consumers to take action. Targeted marketing techniques enable them to identify and communicate with consumer segments that are most likely to be receptive and responsive to their marketing efforts.
Brian Frisch, Solucient, part of Thomson Healthcare, Tara Gallagher, Solucient, part of Thomson Healthcare

 Navigating the Maze HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Health industry leaders need to navigate through a developing maze of ownership as well as technical, procedural and clinical requirements to implement EHRs in an integrated manner.
Lewis Redd, Accenture, John Quinn, Accenture

 On the Road to the EHR HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
As its first step, a hospital should begin EHR implementation in the health information management department with an on-demand electronic document management system.
Richard Cohen, ChartOne, Roberto Mameli, ChartOne

 The Government Perspective: Public Sector Value and EHR HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Understanding how public entities are able to deliver healthcare benefits to their users is important in determining appropriate future spending priorities.
Rick Wheeler, Accenture, Janhavi Bonville, Accenture

 The Real Challenge in Implementing EHRs HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
The key to a successful implementation lies not so much in the system itself, but in the overall ability of the organization to manage the change.
Adam J. Schreiber, RSM McGladrey, Kate W. Galambos, R.N., M.S.N., RSM McGladrey

 Using Market Projections to Identify Growth Opportunities HCT Project Volume 3, November 14, 2005
Located in a booming healthcare market, Denton Regional Medical Center’s key challenge is choosing the right capital projects, based on accurate projections of growth opportunities. Since 1996, the hospital has relied on Solucient to help make projections that have been used to plan a replacement hospital, an outpatient imaging center and various other projects.

 A Framework for Collaboration: The Process Model HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
The payer/provider relationship depends on information. Bad information can lead to mistrust, misunderstandings, and lost opportunities for market share growth. Relationships blossom when payers and providers work together to ensure the stability of the information continuum.
Ron Crewe, Accenture, Katherine McDaniel, Capgemini, Vivek Nanda, Capgemini, Rob Shingles, Capgemini, Stan Sleight, Capgemini, Kevin McDermott, Capgemini

 A Health Care Revolution in the Making: Intelligent Mobile Solutions HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Today’s practitioners face a new world of medicine – a highly mobile environment where they must treat patients based on dynamically changing medical information while adhering to the operational demands of the health care enterprise.
R.J. Mathew, Skyscape, Inc.

 An Industry View of Payer-Provider Collaboration HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Within the many geographies and landscapes of health care, it is incumbent upon companies to work together to adopt a common vision, to share goals and objectives, and to achieve concurrence on expected outcomes with specific criteria to validate measurable attainment.
Jon Zimmerman, Siemens Medical Solutions

 Care Management HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Care management broadly addresses the health services provided, helping to assure appropriate outcomes. It encompasses a wide range of functions undertaken by payers and providers. By working together, they can enhance the quality that plan members and patients receive.
Kimberley O''Keefe, Accenture, Noreen Fleming, Capgemini, Marj Bogaert, R.N., M.S.N, Capgemini

 Customer Service HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Many complex interrelationships and transactions are required for any single health care experience. A collaborative approach supported by an integrated information infrastructure is necessary for all constituents to achieve their common goal: better medical outcomes for less cost.
Scott Whyte, Catholic Healthcare West, Britton Pim, Capgemini, Paul Quigley, Capgemini, Linda Flink, Capgemini, Donald Gravlin, Capgemini

 Dr. Molly Joel Coye Discusses the Emerging Collaboration Between Payers and Providers HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
What is likely to emerge is more collaboration between health plans and certain providers that are willing to provide data about the results of the use of new technologies so that we might see more channeled introductions of technologies.
Molly Joel Coye, M.D., M.P.H., Health Technology Center

 E-Prescribing: Is It Just What the Doctor Ordered? HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Because e-prescribing takes a process laden with numerous work-around steps and streamlines it to offer significant clinical improvements, industry leaders are taking actionable steps to break down the barriers of its adoption.
Jodie Thellin Skyberg, Accenture, Scott Ponder, Capgemini

 E-Rx Collaborative, E-Prescribing: A Bridge to the 21st Century HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
E-Prescribing has the potential to provide a bridge that will facilitate a transformation in health care delivery, which will have a remarkable impact on quality, safety, efficiency, and ultimately the value delivered by the health care system.
Robert Mandel, M.D., M.B.A., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Philip Boulter, M.D., Tufts Health Plan

 Health Care: Measuring What Matters to You HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
In today’s turbulent health care industry, payer organizations need a solution to help them better manage business challenges. Enterprise performance management may just be that solution.
Alan Probert, Business Objects, Patrick Morrissey, Business Objects

 Health Information Technology: Implications for Healthcare Organizations HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
In the spring of this year, President Bush established a vision of interoperable electronic health records within 10 years, and appointed David Brailer, MD, PhD to serve as the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (HIT). This established a focal point for action and captured the attention of both the health care industry and the nation.
Peter Kongstvedt, M.D., Accenture, John Quinn, Accenture, Hindy Shaman, Capgemini

 Intentionally Designed Automation Creates The Best Places to Work and Receive Care HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Built to address the root causes of the safety problem – fragmented health care infrastructures and unhealthy work cultures – IDA supports the practice and workflow of practitioners at the point of service.
Bonnie Wesorick, R.N., M.S.N., CPM Resource Center, Michelle R. Troseth, R.N., M.S.N., CPM Resource Center, Jim Cato, Eclipsys

 John Hummel Explains How to Promote Employee Adoption of New Technologies HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
It is important that the clinical leadership and the administration leadership – the CEO, the COO, the CFO, and the CMO – understand what the ultimate vision is and how it will benefit each of their areas.
John Hummel, Sutter Health

 Online Collaboration Improves Health Care Delivery HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Through collaborative online business processes, all participants can contribute to quality improvements that can help organizations become the health care employer and provider of choice in its community.
Jennifer Langer, PeopleSoft, Inc., Jamie Wyatt, PeopleSoft, Inc.

 Paving the Way For a Collaborative Future HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Despite existing and potential barriers, the benefits of collaboration between the major entities in health care remain high. Properly done, collaboration could increase the efficiencies of the entire system, thereby helping to manage overall costs.
Peter Kongstvedt, M.D., Accenture, Hindy Shaman, Capgemini

 Payer and Provider Collaboration For Disease Management HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Because effective disease management has significant impact on the quality of care delivered and on overall costs, it is a logical arena for collaboration. For it to occur, however, a natural distrust that generally exists between payers and physicians must be overcome.
Wendy L. Wilson, M.D., Accenture

 Payers Play a Pivotal Role in the Rapid Adoption of EHR by Providers HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Our future, then, lays in continuing our original mission to connect patients, providers, and payers through the consolidated information system that is the next generation IMM application set.
John Capobianco, MEDecision

 Point-of-Care IT: Improving Patient Care HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Simply computerizing patient records will not alone facilitate the needed improvements in the costly, error-prone, clinical environment. As health care facilities begin adopting EMR systems, access to pertinent patient and drug information must be available at the point of care.
Alicia Roberts, EnovateIT

 Scheduling, Eligibility, and Registration HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
Information drives three key processes – scheduling patients for health care services, determining and verifying their insurance benefits, and registering them. The quality of information gathered throughout the continuum of care can make or break these processes.
Ron Crewe, Accenture, Frances Falsey, Capgemini, Susan McBride, Accenture

 Smart Cards HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
CDHP, facilitated by smart cards, will give customers better choices and a sense of ownership toward their decisions. A smart card in a patient’s pocket empowers a new perspective on health services.
Laurie Knutson, Capgemini

 The Fully Implemented EMR HCT Project Volume 2, July 17, 2004
The journey to a fully implemented electronic medical record (EMR) will be long and challenging for all health care institutions. There are many issues to confront and overcome, such as justifying and securing the funding, selecting and implementing the appropriate technologies, and changing the processes and behaviors of the many participants in the delivery of health care to patients. The current processes make extensive use of paper documentation in the delivery and recording of health care; while the future may eventually eliminate the paper, we all know that it will be with us for a long time and may never be fully eliminated. This paper will describe a strategy for incorporating and integrating the paper documentation with the EMR in a manner that is cost-effective, flexible, and will bring immediate benefits to the clinical process.

 Patient Access HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
A patient's entry into and discharge from the hospital are points of contact that can affect the patient's satisfaction with the entire hospital experience. Fragmented information systems with disparate applications for handling patient registration, insurance and authorization processing, billing, scheduling, and clinical processes must give way to fully integrated systems to prevent loss of revenue and dissatisfied "health care consumers."
Deborah Maslia, Capgemini, Linda McAuley, Capgemini

 Payment Card Utilization in the 21st Century HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Health plan administrators, employers, and consumers are looking for ways to increasingly utilize card programs and leverage technology to create a positive experience with health care providers. Pre-paid, credit and debit, corporate, and smart cards can help to facilitate that experience.
Mike Fontana, Mastercard Worldwide

 Providing New Solutions for Care Coordination HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Successful care management programs share common designs incorporating collaborative, inter-disciplinary care teams; information repositories; standardized communication protocols and care-management processes; continuously monitored outcomes; and reduced care team administrative tasks.
Rodd Padden M.B.A., Canopy Systems, Inc., Phil Beauchene, R.N., M.H.A., Mind My Heart, Kathleen Anderson, B.S.N., M.H.A., W.V. University Hospitals

 Question & Answer with Eric Paul, Graduate Pharmacist, Baxter Corporation HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Eric Paul says real-time, point-of-care technology is the key to ensuring that clinicians have the best possible decision support.
Eric Paul, Baxter Corporation

 Question & Answer with Jeff Goldsmith, President of Health Futures, Inc. HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Jeff Goldsmith discusses how clinical IT will integrate a patient's history with embedded best practice guidelines to help clinicians design the best possible treatment plan.
Jeff Goldsmith, Ph.D., Health Futures, Inc.

 Real-World Benefits of Real-Time Health Care Materials Management HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Internet software and architecture coupled with automated Web-based supply chain management have dramatically increased the ability of health care organizations to cut operating costs and improve performance through real-time materials management.
Jennifer Langer, PeopleSoft, Inc., Jamie Wyatt, PeopleSoft, Inc.

 Reducing Practice Variation HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
There is a growing body of clinical evidence supporting leading practice interventions for treating specific medical conditions. Embedding and automating these leading practices within a computerized physician ordering system helps to ensure that the most current medical knowledge informs treatment decisions, and variations from accepted practice will be based on the patient’s specific circumstances and risks.
Robert B. Williams, M.D., Capgemini, Steve Margolis, M.D., Capgemini, Jane Neumann, M.D., ProHealth

 Smart Cards and Clinical Care Delivery HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
In the search for fast, secure, and accurate patient clinical information storage, smart cards offer advanced options to care providers and patients. Smart card technology allows health care providers and health care organizations to streamline medical processes, participate in secure health care data exchange, as well as increase quality of service through improved data access.
Dr. Bruno Lassus, D.D.S., Gemplus

 Special Section: Clinical Documentation HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Clinical documentation is often viewed as a necessary evil: a cause for overtime work, an incomplete patchwork of irrelevant or out-of-date data, or a task done to avoid legal or regulatory consequences. In this section, we make the case for designing, building, and implementing automated clinical documentation according to a new paradigm, one with the power to transform clinical practice and yield major benefits to health care organizations, clinicians, and patients.
Carol Belmont, Capgemini, Bonnie Wesorick, R.N., M.S.N., CPM Resource Center, Helen Jesse, R.N., M.S., Capgemini, Michelle R. Troseth, R.N., M.S.N., CPM Resource Center, David Brown, M.A., Eclipsys

 Technology in Health Care: Building an Integrated Infrastructure HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
A significant obstacle to making clinical care available one is system interoperability. Designing and implementing a modern replacement for limited-interoperability legacy systems can be an expensive, chaotic, and time-consuming endeavor. A less disruptive and costly alternative is to add an XML-based integration layer over existing systems.
Mark Blatt, Intel Corporation

 The Impact of IT on the Health Care Workforce HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
The role of information technology is not to replace clinicians, but to change their work environment to provide better job satisfaction and better patient care. By redesigning clinical processes and automating them with enabling technologies – often through innovative outsourcing arrangements – health care providers transform themselves into competitive enterprises that better serve their communities.
Charles Colander, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Karyl Woldum R. N., Capgemini, Brian Shea, Pharm.D., Capgemini

 The Net Effect HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Internet-based, global information technology has revolutionized the technological landscape for the health care industry. While privacy and security issues persist in patient care, safety is within reach utilizing existing security devices and systems.
Curtis K. Levinson, SBC

 Why Total Perioperative Automation Is Essential for 21st Century Health Care Systems HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Total perioperative automation (TPA) improves competitive and financial viability. TPA systems reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve quality of care by managing and integrating the entire perioperative environment from pre-op scheduling and assessment through post-anesthesia care.
Christopher Grover, Grover Group

 A Structured Approach to Physician Adoption of Technology HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
One of the most significant barriers to computerized physician order entry or other advanced clinical systems is a lack of clinician adoption. Value cannot be realized if clinicians won't use the technology. A structured methodology can help health care organizations foster clinician adoption.
Barbara A. Crowell, Dearborn Advisors, LLC

 Clinical Information Systems: Enterprise Versus Departmental Solutions in Obstetrics HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
The computer industry has not yet developed systems that incorporate specialized departmental functionality with standard CIS applications such as CPOE, clinical documentation, and automated medication administration records. Until integrated solutions are available, health care organizations need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of using departmental systems in conjunction with their enterprise clinical system.
Helen Jesse, R.N., M.S., Capgemini

 Connecting Health Care Users to Information: Convenience, Security, and Authentication Management HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Secure, simplified authentication is more of an issue than ever as the demand for access to clinical data spreads from hospitals to clinics, doctors' offices, and patients. One solution is to separate and extract the authentication process from the underlying application. Authentication services can then be provided as a "network service."
Daniel Palestrant, BNX Systems

 Ed Hammond Discusses the Need for Increased Data Sharing and the Development of Collaborative Health Care Industry Standards HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Q&A Between Dr. W. Ed Hammond, Professor Emeritus, Community and Family Medicine and Professor Emeritus, Biomedical Engineering at Duke University and Barry Jacobs, Publisher of Health Care Technology.
Ed Hammond, Duke University

 Enterprise PACS: Practical, Proven, and In Demand HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Picture Archiving and Communication Systems are a crucial component of truly integrated, effective patient care and information services. Institutions of every size, mission, and financial capacity can no longer afford to delay PACS investment.
Brad Levin, AMICAS

 Health Care Technology: A History of Clinical Care Innovation HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
The future of health care innovation is best understood if we take a moment to look at how we got where we are today. What have been the obstacles? How is the industry overcoming these obstacles? Who are the leaders in terms of change, and what kind of changes can the industry expect in the future?
R. L. Johnson & Associates

 Information Technology in the Emergency Department HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Adhering to fundamental critical success factors while avoiding common pitfalls will increase the chance of building, integrating, and deploying a successful computer-based patient record. Organizations that strive for, and measure, improvements in patient care and satisfaction are more likely to thrive than those that measure financial benefits more exclusively.
Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., Maimonides Medical Center

 Integrated Results Reporting Information System: The First Phase of Clinical Decision Support HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Complete, organized, timely, and usable medical information via a Results Reporting Information System (RRIS) can be the first step towards clinical decision support. Moreover, RRIS is both easier to implement and more rapidly adopted by health care workers than other new systems.
William Bria, University of Michigan

 Integrating Clinical Systems and Health Information Management: Automation Using Internet-Based Tools HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Automating the management of clinical data through a centralized electronic repository via the Internet improves efficiency and reduces costs. The online consolidation of physician notes and hospital records moves the industry progressively toward the EMR paradigm.
Robert Keet, M.D., F.A.C.P., Axolotl

 Lessons Learned in Physician Design and Use of Advanced CIS and CPOE — It's About Time! HCT Project Volume 1, July 01, 2003
Designing and implementing an advanced CIS is a complex and high-risk journey. To this end, physicians need to get on board from the project's inception. Physicians have the clinical perspective necessary for a successful implementation.
Robert B. Williams, M.D., Capgemini