Cover Story A New Map of the (CIO) World? CIOs Ponder Their Expanding Universes
As changes in technology and in operations sweep healthcare, more and more areas are coming under the aegis of the CIO these days, from medical records/HIM to biomedical engineering to telecom. How are CIOs managing the governance, strategy, and management issues that role expansion is bringing with it? We'll provide a smorgasbord of diverse perspectives on the part of a diverse group of CIOs on this topic. [email protected]
Clinical
Now that meaningful use guidelines have been announced, hospitals are going to face a real challenge: proving it. Though hospitals may meet the requirements for meaningful use, demonstrating that they do may not be so easy — especially when they are already swimming in data and proof comes from a variety of different systems. Some CIOs are finding new IT tools can relieve the burden to prove meaningful use. We’ll take a look at some products that can help streamline the process of proving meaningful use and tame the information glut. We’ll also find out whether hospitals need to hire consultants to make sure they don’t miss the boat on proving the meaningful use they’ve worked so hard to attain. [email protected]
Financial
With money tight, more and more hospitals are finding they can’t spare the travel time and expense for staff meetings. Some CIOs are meeting this challenge by using video conferencing as a way to cut down on these expenses. The video technology can also be leveraged to include education through webinars and CME content. And when it comes time for a desktop refresh, some cutting edge hospitals are taking conferencing technology a step further — by enabling end users to conference right from desktop monitors that are video camera-capable. [email protected]
Administrative
Long wait times in the emergency department (ED) is an issue plaguing many hospitals and health systems. And as more patients bypass physician offices and seek treatment in the ED, the problem is only going to worsen. This article will examine some of the technologies being leveraged in this space — including electronic boards and Web sites — to more effectively communicate wait times to patients and let them know when they can expect to be seen. It will also look at what is required from an IT standpoint to implement these technologies. [email protected]
Wireless
For years, industry experts have been predicting significant growth in the healthcare sector of the RFID market, but a number of hospitals seem to have put the technology on the backburner. In this article, we’ll talk to those in the know to gain a clearer picture about where the trends are headed in terms of tracking technologies, what hospital leaders are looking to accomplish by implementing these systems, and what we can expect to see in the next year in terms of asset and staff/patient tracking. [email protected]
Imaging
As the chance that Medicare reimbursement will be cut for radiological procedures in hospitals and in physician offices becomes more and more likely this year, what will the implications be of that payment shift for hospital-physician relations? And in particular, what new or intensified demands will CIOs face, as radiologists and referring physicians both turn to them and to technology for help in offsetting radiologic reimbursement cuts? We'll speak with CIOs and with industry and policy observers to learn more. [email protected]
Policy
The Best of David Raths’ Policy Blog (Contact: [email protected])
