Hospitals & Health Networks has unveiled its nineteenth annual “Most Wired” list, which is based on its survey of the same name. The survey was conducted by H&HN and the American Hospital Association.
Here’s a key takeaway from this year’s list: Technology is all the rage, and hospitals are using it for everything from population health management to boosting decision-making capabilities.
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The list has the numbers to prove that tech is becoming an integral part of hospitals’ systems, particularly as it relates to patient care and engagement. Sixty-nine percent of Most Wired hospitals claim they utilize population health management tools. Another 75 percent allow providers to securely message patients on a mobile device, and 68 percent allow patients to request prescription refills using a mobile device. Over 50 percent of this year’s Most Wired hospitals offer telehealth services, and 40 percent offer virtual doctor visits.
On top of that, 75 percent of hospitals utilize analytics to improve decision-making. Only 39 percent of respondents said their organization informs clinical leaders of quality measures in real time. However, that percentage is steadfastly growing; it was only at 32 percent in 2016 and 26 percent in 2015.
While these statistics are heartening, H&HN and AHA note that there’s still room to grow. Hospitals have learned how to implement the technology, but need to focus on integrating it and using it to its full advantage.
“I think we see a shift here from, ‘How do I get this tech?’ to ‘How do I deploy this for our strategic objectives?'” Chantal Worzala, AHA’s vice president of health IT and policy operations said in a statement.
Though Worzala noted that cybersecurity-related challenges are “constant and voluminous,” the issue is a key focus among Most Wired hospitals. Ninety-seven percent of them use intrusion detection systems, and 82 percent have a third party source conduct yearly security audits.
The list of 2017 Most Wired hospitals includes numerous notable names, including Boston Medical Center, Carilion Clinic, Memorial Hermann and Kaiser Permanente. View the full list here.
Additionally, the list includes 27 “Advanced” hospitals, which met certain criteria — such as stronger security systems and faster disaster recovery — in all aspects of the Most Wired survey. This year’s advanced hospitals include Cedars-Sinai, Geisinger Health System and University of Utah Health Care.
H&HN also pointed out this year’s Most Wired-Small and Rural hospitals and the Most Improved hospitals.
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