News Feature | July 18, 2016

AHA Health Forum Releases List Of Most Wired Hospitals

Christine Kern

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Hospitals Delaying Health IT Adoption

“Most Wired” hospitals are partnering with other providers to share health data, study found.

The American Hospital Association’s strategic business division Health Forum has released the results of its 18th annual Most Wired survey which found the Most Wired hospitals are partnering with other providers to share health data aimed at strategic patient groups, like those with diabetes. These healthcare organizations are using predictive modeling to eliminate preventable problems and provide the right care to their patients.

The study also found the top three telehealth services offered in hospitals are office visits and consultations, stroke care, and psychiatric examinations and psychotherapy. Furthermore, 68 percent of respondents said their hospitals accept patient-generated data through a patient portal.

And mobile technologies provide versatile and flexible means of providing the right tools to care team members to make the right diagnoses and treatment decisions for their patients. In fact, 81 percent of the Most Wired hospitals report using mobile applications to notify clinicians of sudden changes in patient conditions and correlated events such as respiratory distress or failure.

The annual survey is designed to measure the level of IT adoption in U.S. healthcare systems and hospitals and to help leadership in those institutions map their IT strategic plans. This year’s study polled 680 participants, representing an estimated 2,146 hospitals.

The survey also found:

  • over half (53 percent) of respondents interface EHR data with population health tools
  • 62 percent stratify patients according to risk
  • roughly half (51 percent) aggregate data from patient encounters to create a community health record
  • one-quarter (26 percent) offer E-visits through a mobile application
  • 61 percent use social media to provide support groups

“Hospitals are breaking-out of their traditional four walls and providing care where and when patients need it,” explained Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA. “These Most Wired hospitals exemplify this transformation by harnessing technology, engaging patients and offering services remotely. And, removing policy and other barriers to telehealth will allow even faster adoption of these amazing technologies,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA in a prepared statement.

A state-by-state list of the Most Wired hospitals can be found here.