Mastering Data Management

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Can you, and should you, make an investment in technology before requirements are defined?

IT leaders and providers came together at the Health Data Management (HDM) Summit held in Boston last week to discuss ARRA funding, meaningful use requirements for EHR  and interoperable health IT best practices.

One significant and recurring concern expressed by attendees and speakers alike was how to meet aggressive deadlines for the meaningful use of EHR when requirements are not fully defined and access to capital is constrained.

Can you, and should you, make an investment in technology today in this climate of uncertainty and change? The answer is yes. An EHR requires the ability to interoperate with other health IT systems to share or exchange information. This requires an interoperability infrastructure which takes time and capital to develop.

Case in point: In an EHR leadership discussion, Dan Drawbaugh, CIO for UPMC (just named one of the 9 People to Watch in Healthcare) suggested that there are four key actions a CIO should take today to advance interoperability in the face of stimulus requirements. They include:

1) Don’t wait. EHR is here to stay and timeframes are tight so lay the groundwork now.

2) It’s not only about EHR. You need a strategy for interoperability and the technology to enable the meaningful use of the EHR.

3) Get budget commitment from leaders for at least 3-5 years so you don’t have to keep fighting the battle year after year.

4) Designate paid positions from clinical staff so that you can maintain focus and develop and roll out an effective solution in a timely way.

UPMC has developed an interoperability platform that has yielded significant results in the way of cost savings, process improvement and increased quality of care. These capabilities will position the organization to meet even the most stringent requirements for demonstrating meaningful use in 2011 and beyond.

To learn more about what UPMC has done, watch this on demand webinar: Transforming Patient Care through Interoperability.