With internal process improvement through utilizing health information and technology, Memorial Hermann is selected as a 2017 HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award recipient
CHICAGO (February 27, 2018) – Memorial Hermann, a 2017 HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award recipient, exemplifies the successful use of health IT systems to substantially improve patient outcomes by implementing and monitoring IT interventions to ensure that all of its patients receive safe, high-quality care.
Data-Driven Process Improvement
Over the years, Memorial Hermann has rolled out several key initiatives that rely on data and IT interventions to create a high-reliability culture at the bedside.
For example, clinical decision support (CDS) alerts were implemented to identify ‘good catches’ and change the course of therapy for patients. The amount of data housed within the EHR for a single patient can be challenging for physicians to process and make the appropriate clinical decisions.
With appropriate implementation, CDS alerts help overcome these challenges to patient care and alert physicians of potential adverse events, such as drug-drug interactions, medication allergies and abnormal labs, among others. First implemented in the pharmacy department, the alerts now function across Memorial Hermann, which is among the largest health systems in Texas.
HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence
“The HIMSS Davies Award recognizes outstanding achievement of organizations that have utilized health information technology to substantially improve patient outcomes and value.”
The Davies Awards program promotes health information technology-enabled improvement in patient outcomes through sharing case studies and lessons learned on implementation strategies, workflow design, best practice adherence, and patient engagement.
“Several years ago, we embarked on a journey to become a high-reliability organization committed to providing patients with the utmost in safe, high-quality patient care,” said Chuck Stokes, president and CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System. “Our information systems division has been key to that effort, embracing innovative health IT systems and interventions that have allowed us to establish an industry-leading care delivery model ensuring that every patient who comes through our doors receives safe, timely, accurate and effective treatment and procedures. We are humbled by the recognition from HIMSS of the successes we have achieved, and we are proud to be able to provide our community with the excellent care they deserve.”
Health IT Improving Patient Care
Memorial Hermann is using data to prevent ventilator-acquired pneumonia, or VAP, in patients. Studies have found that up to 20 percent of ventilated patients in hospitals across the United States develop VAP, and at least 20 percent of those cases may be preventable.
Memorial Hermann also created documentation bundles aimed at driving best practices to prevent central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs). As many as 28,000 people die every year from CLABSIs in ICU units across the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To tackle this industrywide problem, Memorial Hermann tailored IT interventions to fit into different clinical workflows and the team provides consistent monitoring on an ongoing basis to ensure success.
Chart 1: Decline in VAP rates after the implementation of VAP bundles at Memorial Hermann.
“Memorial Hermann’s ‘good catches’ for clinical decision support, ventilator acquired pneumonia bundle and focus on central line associated blood stream infections demonstrates how clinical decision support enables significant improvements in patient safety,” said Jonathan French, CPHIMS, senior director of quality and patient safety initiatives at HIMSS. “HIMSS is proud to recognize Memorial Hermann as a Davies Award recipient for improving the care outcomes and safety of their patients enabled through the innovative use of information and technology.”
Learn more about how Memorial Hermann has achieved excellence with health IT by exploring their use cases.
Media Contact:
Maura Bilek | HIMSS
mbilek@himss.org | (312) 915-9510