How does the economic downturn affect health
care organizations' strategic thinking around I.T.
initiatives? This is one example of the topics covered during
the CHIME CIO Spring Forum which was held on April 4th in
Chicago. Ken Jasper, director of sales for MEDITECH,
moderated the focus group, "Prioritization During an
Economic Downturn," which gave hospital CIOs the
opportunity to discuss with their peers some of the
challenges health care organizations are facing during the
current economic downturn. Throughout the discussion, CIOs
were asked how I.T. initiatives have shifted, and how they
are prioritizing I.T. projects. In addition, CIOs discussed
whether they are pursuing health care I.T. grants and/or
other external funding to meet their I.T. goals and
initiatives.
"Despite the country feeling the effects of a recession,
hospital CIOs find it an opportune time to invest in health
care information technology," says Jasper. "They
are looking to both enhance the quality of care and to take
advantage of the passing of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA), by receiving funding and
reimbursements from the government for demonstrating 'meaningful
use' of electronic health records."
The consensus among the CIOs was health care organizations
should develop an I.T. road map which will lead them down the
path to meeting reimbursement eligibility requirements, and
more importantly, improve the quality and safety of patient
care. "While 'meaningful use' is still up for discussion,
we do know that CPOE, quality outcomes measuring, and
interoperability are consistently used to define the term,"
says Jasper. "MEDITECH is actively working to better
understand the provisions of the ARRA, and specifically
determine how the act will impact our customers and prospects."
For information on the ARRA, including how it impacts health
care I.T, be sure to check out our Interoperability and EHR Initiatives portal.
MEDITECH
Medical
Information Technology, Inc.
MEDITECH Circle
Westwood, MA 02090
781-821-3000
www.meditech.com