Report Looks at Evolving Roles of Chief Medical Information and Nursing Officers

Identifying the changing roles and responsibilities of Chief Medical Informatics Officers and Chief Nursing Officers, HIMSS Analytics recently announced the results of Medical Device Integration: CMIO and CNO Perspectives, a research report sponsored by Capsule, a provider of medical device connectivity based out of Andover, Mass. The study gathered the opinions of CMIOs, CNOs and senior nursing executives about their roles within the healthcare organization, their influence on IT decisions and their top IT priorities such as medical device integration. The data, collected during two separate focus groups, revealed the change in responsibilities and the role of medical device integration technology in helping drive EMR adoption and Meaningful Use. The study found that the roles and responsibilities of CMIOs will continue to evolve as new technologies are developed. Their roles will also be important as the healthcare industry is driven by federal initiatives such as healthcare reform, Meaningful Use and the adoption of ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure coding. CMIOs will undoubtedly have an immediate and distinct impact on decisions related to clinical roles and information systems, bridging the gap between clinical knowledgebase and technical know-how. Senior nurse executives will also continue to have involvement in the lifecycle of IT in any future decisions such as medical device integration, but will need to find a balance with the plethora of non-technology driven responsibilities.