Are you a healthcare CIO, analyst or consultant who can contribute to one of the stories listed here? If so, contact HCI Editor-in-Chief Anthony Guerra, and you might get a call from one of our reporters. (please contact us for these stories until 2/15)
Cover Story – Project Management
One of the most important skills any CIO can have is sound project management abilities. Handling large-scale IT implementations is difficult in any industry, and in healthcare — where users are often not employees — those difficulties can more than double. In this story, HCI will provide an in-depth analysis of project management best practices, featuring discussions with CIOs that have mastered the art of bringing multiple implementations to fruition on time and on budget. Managing multimillion dollar projects can make or break a CIO’s career — adopting best practices can help ensure it’s the former.
Feature/QandA
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is rolling out EMRs to the practices in its associated physician organization. But the medical center is taking a different path than its neighbor (Partners HealthCare) in terms of structure and payment obligations. John Halamka, M.D., CIO of the medical center and Harvard Medical School, talks about the organization’s plans for bridging the IT gap between acute and ambulatory care.
Clinical
Cardiovascular Information Systems are a growing area of CIO focus. What are the best practices in this incredibly complex area of the hospital? A recent Klas survey on industry perceptions shows many are still struggling to come up with a sound CV IT strategy. We look at who’s doing it right in this story.
Financial
Recently decoupled from its parent organization, The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, a 555-bed, not-for-profit acute care facility, found itself responsible for a whole host of financial and administrative functions, and without the tools to get them done. To move forward, the organization hit the market and found one vendor that could provide a number of integrated applications. Why did the hospital ultimately make the choice it did? And are there plans for inter-vendor integration in the organization? We find out.
Administrative
With reducing the number of medical errors a priority for everyone in the industry, the enterprise master patient index is growing in importance. Consistently having a patient properly identified as they move through parts of your healthcare organization is paramount, but actually making this a reality is incredibly complex, as cross-application integration rears its ugly head. We look at hospitals that are making headway in this area.
Wireless
A recent study revealed that nurses are frustrated with wireless point-of-care computing devices. Often, however, the problem lies not with the device but the network coverage. When frustration leads to eschewing bedside IT and degrading patient safety, it’s time to take a closer look. We look at why nurses have had enough, and what CIOs can do to make things better.
Imaging
Surgeons are increasingly relying on surgical PACS systems as they prepare for and perform surgeries in inpatient and outpatient settings. Such systems can be major physician-pleasers, but CIOs will need to think carefully about such issues as interfacing and interoperability, and the need to balance out purchasing surgery systems with other IT purchasing priorities. Find out what the latest trends are and what CIOs think about how to get the most bang for their buck.
Policy
Before the end of the last Congressional session, a flurry of HIT legislation was swirling around the halls of government. What did most of it have in common? A call for mandatory e-prescribing. While allowing such orders for highly controlled substances is a sticking point, a mandate could happen at any time. Will CIOs be ready? HCI looks at the potential for a fiat in this area, and what you should do to stay informed … and prepared.
