Newswise — Technology is making it easier for patients and providers to interact, thus improving communication, safety and patient-provider relationships. Nationwide Children’s Hospital applies technology in innovative ways to more effectively serve patients, families, staff and the community, earning the hospital the distinction of being named a 2017 Most Wired Hospital for its use of technology to tackle today’s health care problems. In addition to the Most Wired distinction, Nationwide Children’s was also recognized as a 2017 Most Wired Innovator Award Finalist.
New tools are helping patients become more actively involved in their care and maintaining their health, according to results of the Health Care’s Most Wired survey, released by the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum. Nationwide Children’s prides itself in providing patients the most up-to-date medical technology available.
According to the survey, Most Wired hospitals use smart phones, telehealth and remote monitoring to create more ways for patients to access health care services and capture health information. This year’s results show:
• 76 percent offer secure messaging with clinicians on mobile devices.
• When patients need ongoing monitoring at home, 74 percent use secure e-mails for patients and families to keep in touch with the care team.
• 68 percent simplify prescription renewals by letting patients make requests on mobile devices.
“It is an honor to be recognized as a 2017 Most Wired Hospital and to be named an Innovation Finalist,” said Denise Zabawski, Chief Information Officer at Nationwide Children’s. “This external validation recognizes the hard work of everyone working in Information Technology at Nationwide Children’s and reinforces the importance of patient care technology as we strive to provide best outcomes for children.”
As a 2017 Most Wired Innovator Award Finalist, Nationwide Children’s developed a virtual reality application in-house specifically for infusion patients to distract and entertain kids during procedures.
The 2017 Most Wired® survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. The survey of 698 participants, representing an estimated 2,158 hospitals across the country examines how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based health care in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management; quality and safety; and clinical integration.
“The Most Wired hospitals are using every available technology option to create more ways to reach their patients in order to provide access to care,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “They are transforming care delivery, investing in new delivery models in order to improve quality, provide access and control costs.”
Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of H&HN. For a full list of winners, visit www.hhnmag.com.
About Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2017-18 list of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare systems providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of nearly 13,000 providing state-of-the-art pediatric care during more than 1.4 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.
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