Dancing with Meaningful Use Data

Data can make a system "dance," Ari Robicsek, M.D., Chicago's NorthShore University HealthSystem's associate chief medical information officer tells FierceHealthIT in our most recent eBook, "Making Data Meaningful."

Dancing data might sound fanciful, but Stage 2 of the Meaningful Use incentive program has a lot more room for imaginative health IT leaders.  

That wasn't necessarily the case in Stage 1, which Robicsek notes was largely focused on resolving EHR usability issues. But since the four-hospital health system began implementing Stage 2, the focus has shifted to data-driven quality improvement.

Actionable data has helped the organization identify patients at risk for hypertension and reduce hospital-acquired infections, for example.

While some are still struggling to do the minimum required under Meaningful Use, there's a growing group of organizations that have moved beyond the basics.

They're finding new ways to use the massive amount of data from their EHRs and other sources and devices to improve patient outcomes, increase efficiency and gather actionable information to prevent adverse events, improve care, avoid readmissions and more.

At Sharp HealthCare system in San Diego, which is also featured in the eBook, the focus is on clinical decision support. Seven of the system's eight hospitals already have reached Stage 2 Meaningful Use compliance thresholds for computerized physician order entry associated with electronic health records.

And Florida's Broward Health has looked beyond the hard-and-fast definition of Meaningful Use to explore how data can help them innovate and improve quality.

To learn more about how to take your EHR to the next level, check out our free eBook. You'll hear best practices and lessons learned from these organizations and others as you undertake you own journey toward Meaningful Use--and beyond.  - Gienna (@Gienna)