Mercy News Room
July 16, 2008
Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa Named 2008 Most Wired Hospital
Patient Satisfaction Higher at Most Wired Hospitals
CHICAGO - Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa has been named for the third consecutive year to the nation’s MOST WIRED - SMALL AND RURAL FACILITIES, according to the results of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.
The 100 Most Wired hospitals show better outcomes in patient satisfaction, risk-adjusted mortality rates and other key quality measures through the use of information technology (IT), according to a new analysis. Marking its tenth year, the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study continues to lead the field in analyses and benchmarking of healthcare IT.
“Health IT has shown incredible promise in helping us improve the quality and safety of the care hospitals deliver every day,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “The results of the Most Wired survey confirm that today’s patient also understands the benefits of IT in improving care and improving the overall hospital experience.”
“Today’s results add to the growing evidence that the appropriate use of IT can enhance both quality and patient satisfaction,” said Alden Solovy, executive editor of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. “Most Wired hospitals are proving the fundamental value of information technology.”
The analysis shows that better outcomes occur among high tech hospitals, but it does not establish a direct causal relationship between technology and outcomes. The satisfaction analysis was conducted jointly with Press Ganey Associates and the quality analysis was conducted jointly with Thomson Healthcare.
“Quality and satisfaction are often tied to key initiatives and goals that hospitals are striving towards through the use of technology and process improvement,” said Jim FitzPatrick, President/CEO of Mercy – North Iowa. “The most successful hospitals use technology as part of an overall strategy and achieve significant results. Those that just deploy technology for technology’s sake don’t see these types of results.”
Investment in information technology needs to be coupled with other hospital or system-wide efforts to drive exceptional results. “Most Wired hospitals excel in many ways but a strong investment in and commitment to information technology are characteristic of hospital leaders who are looking at all of the elements needed to be a high-performing organization,” said Randy Haskins, Director of IT at Mercy – North Iowa.
“An investment in information technology demonstrates the organizational commitment to patients, caregivers, physicians and clinicians, staff and administration,” Haskins said. “It indicates a willingness to invest in areas that advance organizational effectiveness.”
The Most Wired Survey is conducted annually by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, the journal of the American Hospital Association, which uses the results to name the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems. It focuses on how the nation’s hospitals use information technologies for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business processes and workforce issues.
Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2008 survey in cooperation with Accenture, McKesson Corp. and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.
More about Mercy – North Iowa
Mercy – North Iowa implemented an electronic health record system in July 2005 and is considered in the top .5% of the nation’s hospitals providing this advance technology to improve quality of care and patient safety. In July 2008, three of the Mercy-managed hospitals in Mercy Health Network – North Iowa will go live with this electronic health record system with four more facilities implementing in September. This system allows access to patients’ health records across Mercy Health Network.