Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Quality Measurement and Improvement
Lecture:Role of IT and informatics
Results of current approaches to quality assessment
Slide content:Demonstrating Effective Use of Health IT HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence winners HIMSS Analytics EMRAM model HIMSS Continuity of Care Maturity model HIMSS IT Value Suite KLAS Research 9
Slide notes:Several industry efforts are focused on the demonstration of effective use of information technology and systems along with tools and resources that providers can access to support their technology activities. The HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence recognizes excellence in the implementation and use of health IT, specifically EHRs for health care [quote] organizations, private practices, and public health systems. The Davies Award is based on an evaluation framework that involves a two-step process, and is modeled after the Baldrige Award. Applicants are asked for assessment and documentation of their progress based on four key areas, including management, functionality, technology, and overall value. The application process serves as an introspective self-assessment that is valuable for planning an EHR implementation. [end quote] Categories include hospitals (enterprise), ambulatory, public health, and community. All Davies winner applications that are provider case studies are located on the HIMSS.org website. [quote] HIMSS Analytics has tracked the adoption of EMR technologies within hospitals since 2005 and within clinics since 2012 using the EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM [ em -ram]) and Ambulatory EMR Adoption Model. Institutions work to complete the eight stages (0 through 7), with the goal of reaching Stage 7: an environment where paper charts are no longer used. [end quote] The list of current providers that have achieved Stage 7 is located on the HIMSS website at www.himssanalytics.org/stage7. Case studies are available for Stage 7 health care organizations that demonstrated superior use of health IT systems that resulted in improved process performance, care quality, and patient safety. These are accessible from the HIMSS Analytics website and include insight on the organizations journey to achieve Stage 7 EMRAM, which can be beneficial to others who are seeking to achieve EMRAM status. HIMSS Analytics released the Continuity of Care Maturity Model that goes beyond EMRAM Stage 7 to help [quote] optimize outcomes for health systems and patients alike. This global maturity model addresses the convergence of interoperability, information exchange, care coordination, patient engagement, and analytics with the ultimate goal of holistic individual and population health management. [end quote] The HIMSS Health IT Value Suite is a resource highlighting hundreds of examples of hospitals, physician practices, communities, and accountable care organizations that have realized the full value of using IT and information systems. Resources include many detailed case studies that reveal strategy, tactics, and the measures of providers experience in realizing the benefits and value of IT. Many industry-wide resources and IT conferences are used to assist providers in the identification and selection of the best software and technology, including those for quality-related initiatives. KLAS Research is an example of a firm that provides vendor and product reviews, research, as well as U.S. and international industry reports that are all focused on the effective use of IT systems. Providers can use this resource to assist in selecting the best tool for their organization. Vendor profiles are listed by software vendor type, such as quality reporting tools, EHRs, and decision support systems. These are just a few of the available resources available to providers. 9