Clinical Integration: Where IT and Care Goals Intersect

[Alexandra Casey]

A goal dependent on technology
There are plenty of political and logistical arguments against clinical integration however these center on how to best get to the end result. Most industry stakeholders agree that clinical integration stands out as a key plan for the future of healthcare. The concept is simple: allow doctors in hospitals, physician offices and clinics to integrate the care they provide. The goal is attainable, and by enabling effective data sharing between all points of patient care, hospitals, urgent care, specialty clinics, outreach labs and physician offices, the end result of better, more informed patient care will be achieved.

 

Getting started on the path to clinical integration
The entire process begins in hospitals and the interoperability strategy must be driven by the CIO and embraced by all stakeholders.  When the hospital invests in a solid integration foundation they will be well positioned to expand all levels of integration care.   The Summit Interoperability platform backed by the robust Summit Express Connect, interface engine technology will lay the groundwork for data sharing that can be achieved rapidly and cost effectively.   Taking this a step further and embracing the workflow to allow for physician office orders to flow into the hospital HIS for processing will even tighten the relationships further. Summit Provider Exchange is finally tackling the unique registration and order management issues that have been plaguing organizations for years.

 

Time to finally put down the paper and embrace electronic health records.  With the right healthcare systems integration strategy and  interoperability technology toolset, your hospital will be blazing the clinical integration trail.