Newswise — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has been named one of the "most wired" hospitals in the United States, according to a just-released survey by Hospitals & Health Networks, a journal of the American Hospital Association. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is one of only seven hospitals in California and 100 nationally to receive this distinction.
Among the Cedars-Sinai advances that helped earn the 2005 Most Wired honor:
* Electronic Signature Capabilities for Physicians " This allows Cedars-Sinai physicians the ability to view, edit and sign off on patient medical chart information via computer either inside or away from the hospital. * Outpatient Clinic Electronic Medical Records " The implementation of an electronic medical record system in the Cedars-Sinai outpatient clinics means everything from patient scheduling to medical charts are handled online.
* Online Hospital Gift Shop " This convenient service allows family and friends of patients and employees to order online directly from the Helping Hand Gift Shop at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for immediate delivery to patients and employees.
* Online Patient Billing " This service gives patients the ability to view and pay their bills online.
* Automation of Purchasing and Materials Management " This allows Cedars-Sinai staff to order equipment and supplies online as well as track progress of orders electronically.
"The innovative use of technology enables our caregivers to spend more time with patients and less time with paperwork," said Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
"The Most Wired award is a fitting recognition of the outstanding work of our employees and medical staff, and we are honored to receive this recognition as a leader."
Since 1999, Hospitals & Health Networks has surveyed the nation's hospitals on their use of information technology to accomplish key goals - including safety and quality objectives. Based on a detailed scoring process, the publication annually names the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems. This year's recognition marks Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's third " with previous Most Wired awards received in 2001 and 2002.
"The Most Wired honor is a reflection of our ongoing effort to use the most innovative technology to help better serve our patients," added Ray Duncan, M.D., Cedars-Sinai director of technology. According to Hospitals & Health Networks analysis of survey's submitted - the top 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems - those that have invested significantly in health information technology - have lower mortality rates than other hospitals. While the survey does not establish a "cause and effect" relationship between information technology use and improved outcomes, it demonstrates that technology can play an important role in quality.
About the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking StudyThe Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study measures the nation's hospitals on their use of information technologies for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business processes and workforce issues. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other honorees will be recognized at the Health Forum and The American Hospital Association Leadership Summit to be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, Calif. July 28-30, 2005.
Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2005 Survey in cooperation with Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company; IDX Systems Corporation, a leading provider of software, services and technologies for health care provider organizations; and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). Solucient conducted the mortality analysis. For more information, the July Hospitals & Health Networks cover story detailing results is available at http://www.hhnmag.com.
One of only five hospitals in California whose nurses have been honored with the prestigious Magnet designation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the Western United States. For 17 consecutive years, it has been named Los Angeles' most preferred hospital for all health needs in an independent survey of area residents. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnostic and treatment capabilities and its broad spectrum of programs and services, as well as breakthroughs in biomedical research and superlative medical education. It ranks among the top 10 non-university hospitals in the nation for its research activities and was recently fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP). Additional information is available at http://www.cedars-sinai.edu.
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