The key to a great device integration product is its technology. Similarly, the key to a great device connectivity company—or any company, really—is its team. I can’t tell you how proud I am that the iSirona team has unrivalled depth in every aspect of healthcare information technology. That’s what successfully brought us all the way from our initial vision to having so many successful customer deployments.
To that end, I’m thrilled that Mary Carr has accepted our invitation to become iSirona’s Chief Nursing Officer!
A modern hospital is a complex organization, and device integration has to meet requirements on a lot of different levels. One of those levels is the nursing floor, and even the most powerful and sophisticated connectivity technology has no value unless it meets the real-world needs of working nurses. In large part, our products have been so successful because of Mary’s understanding of how nurses work.
Mary’s contributions have been invaluable. She has worked for iSirona for several years, and our customers rave about her capabilities and knowledge. I believe she is just getting going; that’s why we created the CNO position. If you’ve already met her, you’ll understand how much she brings to that position. If you haven’t, I invite you to introduce yourself; you can reach her at mary.carr@isirona.com.
Las Vegas can be the city of jackpots. At HIMSS12, it can be the city where you win a free Kindle Fire!
Visit iSirona at booth #12414. You’ll learn how the latest version of our software connects any device to any EMR. And, you’ll become eligible for our daily drawing. We’re giving away a Kindle Fire each day!
To stay informed, text BUZZ to 53203, follow us on twitter, or keep your eye on this blog. If you’re ready to learn (and if you’re feeling lucky), we’ll see you in Las Vegas!
Sure, budgets are low. But hardware-based purchasing decisions are still going to be made in the next 12 months. And many of those decisions will affect patient data collection, or integration, into the EMR. For those involved in these purchases, from the CIO to the CNIO, I’d like to share my ever-ardent feelings on the valor of multi-use hardware—those thin PCs, laptops, tablets and workstations-on-wheels that are more than capable of getting patient device data into the EMR.
1. Implementation and Hardware Costs. When multi-use hardware is utilized in data collection, implementation costs drop. Hospitals already own the hardware. Furthermore, the hardware is already on the maintenance list, so even as the functionality of the device increases, the overall maintenance costs stay static.
2. Training Costs. New hardware, especially if it is single-use hardware, often has its own user interface. That means more training. And didn’t you just spend an awful lot on EMR training?
3. Troubleshooting Responsibilities. Multi-use devices are “open” enough for enterprise-level management by IT. So when a device goes offline, IT is the first to know. The clinician-as-bedside-troubleshooter is eliminated.
4. Hardware Handcuffs. Single-use hardware often entails vendor lock-in. You might like the hardware (form factor, overall function), but hate the software. Once you purchase the hardware, though, you’re stuck with both.
5. Computational Power. Multi-use devices are not welded shut. If you want to add memory or a faster CPU to handle bigger and better things, you can. This is a key difference between a computer, which can be upgraded or even repurposed entirely, and a single-use device.
It’s great to see a writer who, in addition to Shahid Shah, understands the importance of device data. A recent HeathITNews piece titled, “5 reasons medical device data is vital to the success of EHRs” and written by Michelle McNickle, summarized the relationship between integrated device data and the future of the EHR quite nicely.
I agree with the author and Shah that 3G cellular from mobile phones and software APIs are incredibly important when it comes to alleviating “empty EHR syndrome.” As a provider of device integration solutions, though, I’d like to also point out that non-networked, standalone devices are presently generating incredible amounts of clinically significant, error-free data in hospitals. In connecting these standalone devices to the EMR or clinical information system, we’ve helped hospitals go a long way in populating their systems with usable, analyzable device data.
The drive to implement patient-centered care is an important initiative. Besides being spelled out as a regulatory requirement in the Affordable Care Act, it also offers significant benefits to patients, practitioners, and hospitals.
In patient-centered care, nurses are a key component. The American Journal of Nursing reported that “partnerships between nurses and patients are a cornerstone of patient-centered care,” and a November 2011 study from the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden found that a working partnership between patient and clinicians can cut a hospital stay by 30%. It also has a direct financial benefit, as Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton, VA discovered. Fauquier, the subject of a July 2011 case study in Health Leaders Media, found that giving nurses an increased role in patient-centered care allowed the physician time to see more patients, which in the current fee-for-service reimbursement structure allows for more billable charges.
In most hospitals, though, nurses already have a full workload, and there’s not necessarily any room in the hospital budget for increasing the nursing staff. Where, then, can a hospital find additional nursing hours to dedicate to patient-centered care?
One part of the answer is the hidden reserve of nursing hours that can be freed up through medical device integration (MDI). A time and motion study of 36 hospitals found that nurses spend about one-third of their total time on documentation. With MDI, much of this work can be eliminated. In fact, iSirona customers have reported as much as a 35% reduction in the amount of time that nurses spend charting. That time is then freed up for direct patient care. In addition, data gets into the patient record faster and without any of the errors that can come from hand keying.
The result is less routine work for nurses, more accurate and timely data for clinicians, and improved patient satisfaction—all achieved with the hospital’s current nursing staff and within its current budget. That’s an improvement all around.
A KLAS report published last week named iSirona #1 in medical device integration in 2011. KLAS reports are published annually and rank HIT vendors in key market segments. The kicker? The rankings are driven by customer interviews.
This from the KLAS site:
Our mission is to improve healthcare technology delivery by honestly, accurately, and impartially measuring vendor performance for our provider partners.
Given the input method driving this distinction, we couldn’t be happier. “Being ranked #1 by KLAS in the medical device systems category is a true reflection of our commitment to our customers,” says Dave Dyell, iSirona CEO and founder.
KLAS rankings measure a vendor’s performance in the areas of product quality, implementation, and service and support.
Know a physician who grimaces when she or he hears the phrase “HIT initiative?” A Wolters Kluwer survey released last month reveals that physicians feel HIT initiatives are:
- Too expensive (40 percent).
- Generating too much data and not enough actionable information (32 percent).
- Difficult and timely to learn (27 percent).
- Too hard to use at the point of care (24 percent).
We love these physician objections; they form the basis from which we differentiate ourselves from the competition! Because the iSirona solution is software-based, it:
- Keeps costs low. No expensive, single-use hardware required.
- Is configurable. Hospitals easily adapt and filter data parameters to meet their needs.
- Requires little to no training. Our software operates behind existing CIS interfaces.
- Matches clinician workflows. Nurses associate devices via bar code or RFID, and data is authenticated at the bedside.
According to a September 2011 HIMSS Analytics report, 10 percent of the 778 hospitals surveyed in 2010 met the Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements.
So yes, they are out there. Qualifying hospitals are cashing meaningful use checks. But nine out of 10 hospitals are not. A key difference between qualifying and non-qualifying hospitals, the report points out, is automation:
“…as hospitals report increased adoption of IT systems relevant to a fully automated electronic health record (EHR), these hospitals are more likely to meet the Stage 1 meaningful use criteria.”
In this way, data automation (the flow of patient data to the EHR) is alloyed with Meaningful Use; you can’t have one without the other. I trust that National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Dr. Farzad Mostashari would join me in encouraging those nine out of 10 hospitals that are not Stage 1 compliant to embrace automation solutions.
More details on the report here, courtesy of The New York Times.
No doubt, successful EMR implementations require planning, project management, additional hours, and end-user training among a slew of other factors. But, in the midst of all these tasks, there’s an opportunity for a quick IT win: device connectivity.
We frequently see our clients enable device integration at the same time as their EMR implementation. So what does device connectivity have to do with the EMR? A lot. Device connectivity channels data from medical devices directly into an EMR or CIS. No transcribing. No paper. The result? A more robust, accurate EMR. In this way, device connectivity is an imperative element of any CIS or EMR implementation; without it, the EMR can’t reach its full potential.
Of course, not all device connectivity solutions are created equal (and we admit we’re biased, but you should hear about the benefits our clients are experiencing!). In fact, implementing some connectivity solutions in the midst of an EMR implementation could spell disaster. But iSirona’s solution flourishes during EMR or CIS overhauls because it is software-based.
For hospitals already taking the time to implement a new CIS or EMR, it’s imperative that they go one step further and bolster that implementation through device connectivity. With iSirona, that step is as simple as adding software.
Hear how Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC), a 471-bed, HIMSS Analytics Stage 6 facility, worked with physicians, iSirona, and Allscripts to bring devices online and accommodate clinician workflows.
Stream it here or download it from iTunes.
Nothing makes us happier than a satisfied (and integrated) customer. Many thanks to Anthony Guerra and healthsystemCIO.com for hosting the interview, and a special thank you to JRMC CIO Patrick Neece.
The key to a great device integration product is its technology. Similarly, the key to a great device connectivity company—or any company, really—is its team. I can’t tell you how proud I am that the iSirona team has unrivalled depth in every aspect of healthcare information technology. That’s what successfully brought us all the way from our initial vision to having so many successful customer deployments.
