Meaningful use of EHR systems is an IT and organizational initiative

National Healthcare CIO Summit Spring 2011
Hollywood, Florida, May 25-27

Interview with: Reonel "Joon" Saddul, Vice President, Clinical Informatics, St. Joseph Health System

Meaningful use of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems is more than an IT or clinical initiative, according to Reonel "Joon" Saddul, Vice President, Clinical Informatics, at St. Joseph Health System. It is an organizational initiative. Implementation could cost the organization three times more than it should, if not done right from the start, therefore, Saddul advises that all parties are included in the decision-making and planning processes, and the projects aligned to known and likely future requirements.

A speaker at the marcus evans National Healthcare CIO Summit Spring 2011 in Hollywood, Florida, May 25-27, Saddul discusses the major issues related to meaningful use for eligible hospitals and how to plan for beyond Stage 1 requirements.

How can healthcare CIOs ensure meaningful use of EHRs to qualify for incentive payments?

Reonel "Joon" Saddul: "We are looking at our governance structure to ensure the clinical community is well represented, not just in tactical decision-making but also in planning. We are also renewing our vendor partnerships, as we know that many of the issues our clinical community raise are not just about the change management required, but also about specific EHR functionalities that we rely on our partners for.

Integration is the key to functionality. When the patient moves across the healthcare continuum, from the inpatient to perioperative care setting (and vice versa), their information should flow seamlessly across the system. Some solutions in the market encounter problems doing so."

What is the latest on meaningful use?

Reonel "Joon" Saddul: "There are still many questions that remain unanswered on specific meaningful use Stage 1 measures. There are still discussions on what Stage 2 or even Stage 3 will look like. We have an internal team watching this very closely to ensure our decisions while we prepare for Stage 1 also help us prepare for future stages.

We believe that re-designing our EHR system would cost us three times more if not done right from the start, so we are aligning our portfolio of projects and system design to what we know, including likely future requirements. It is an exciting time for us. Nobody knows what is going to happen; every week there is new information, but we make sure that that is incorporated into all our plans for the future."

What strategies for staying on track with all guidelines would you suggest?

Reonel "Joon" Saddul: "My advice to clinical informatics executives would be to engage with all levels of the organization, and not just with the IT or clinical community. Meaningful use is more than an IT or clinical initiative. If there is a department focusing on policy work in Washington, engage those people. The more they know the more they will be able to influence what the Stage 2 and Stage 3 policies look like.

Patient engagement will also be a key player. The clinical quality and performance improvement departments should also be part of the team preparing for this. Meaningful use is not a one year endeavour but a six year project at the very least."

Would you like to make a final comment?

Reonel "Joon" Saddul: "The challenge in the past few years has been in trying to execute an effective way of engaging the clinical community. When our stakeholders say meaningful use is all about the incentive dollar, it means we have not done a good job of explaining what it is all about. The five health outcome priorities of HITECH Act are always front and center in every conversation. This is not about technology, reducing costs or even about the clinical end-users. At the end of the day it is all about improving patient outcomes."