Effective implementation of clinical information systems to maximize health care IT investment

Marking the launch of its newly redesigned Web site, Informatics Corporation of America (ICA; www.icainformatics.com), provider of electronic solutions to hospitals, integrated delivery networks (IDNs), and health information exchanges (HIEs), announces the availability of an informative white paper, “Health Care IT Investment Heightens Need For Effective Implementation: Introducing five key elements for successful roll-out of clinical information systems (CIS),” http://www.icainformatics.com/news-and-events/white-papers/. Co-authored by John Tempesco, vice president of client services and marketing at ICA, and Larry T. Mercer, eCare training director, Sentara Information Technology (www.Sentara.com), the paper outlines the critical steps for successful implementation of clinical information systems (CIS) in order to ensure the value of past, current, and future IT investments.

“Health Care IT Investment Heightens Need For Effective Implementation: Introducing five key elements for successful roll-out of clinical information systems (CIS)”

“Given the high cost of health care IT investments, it is devastating when the implementation process fails at some point in the process,” says Mercer. “This white paper draws on ICA and Sentara’s combined experience in successfully putting clinical information systems into practice, offering a road map that identifies the strategic components for achieving an optimal roll-out. As a result, health care systems can look forward to maximizing their investments while improving the quality of data and patient care across the board.”

The five elements featured in the white paper provide guidelines for avoiding physician frustration, lack of adoption and -- at the extreme -- de-installation of these systems. The paper demonstrates how to enhance the implementation process by:

• Developing a comprehensive business plan
• Demanding executive commitment and leadership
• Setting realistic expectations
• Securing operational ownership of the project
• Piloting and nurturing the implementation

“Both the white paper and re-designed Web site mark a new era for ICA as we continue to serve a growing number of health care enterprises throughout the country in both urban and rural communities,” adds Tempesco, pointing to the interactive features, case studies, and a press room now available at www.icainformatics.com. “We are ramping up our commitment to providing real value in the health IT marketplace, with ICA’s CareAlign™ now playing an important role in leveraging obsolete systems for improved data and patient care."

CareAlign provides a cutting-edge longitudinal patient record, workflow tools, and secure messaging that goes beyond compliance demands. ICA has installations in more than 40 hospitals and approximately 100 clinics providing support for data elements and sources such as diagnoses/problem lists, allergies, outpatient and inpatient medications, physicians, clinicians treating or have treated the patient, facility medical records, number and lab results, radiology reports, physician/transcriptions, notes, hospital discharge notes and summaries.