Designation received in 2016 and 2017:
Atlantic General Hospital was among just six percent of hospitals nationwide
to receive the 2016 Most Wired Hospital distinction and among the one
percent of hospitals nationwide to receive the Most Wired-Advanced award
in 2017. The Most Wired Hospital Award is bestowed by the American Hospital
Association’s (AHA) Health Forum. The awards are based on the results
of the annual HealthCare’s Most Wired® survey and benchmarking
study. The survey examines how organizations are using information technology
(IT) to improve healthcare delivery in the areas of quality and safety,
clinical integration, infrastructure and business management.
“The Most Wired award is a reflection of the organization as a whole,
not IT specifically,” said Andrew Fowler, vice president of information
services and CIO of Atlantic General Hospital. “Atlantic General
has had the foresight to put some very innovative programs in place. Health
IT has been there to help those programs operate more efficiently to provide
the best care possible for our patients.”
A Few of AGH’s Initiatives
Telemedicine
According to the survey, Most Wired hospitals are using telemedicine,
or telehealth, to fill gaps in care, provide services 24-7, or expand
access to medical specialists. This year’s results show psychiatric
examinations and psychotherapy are among the top three telehealth services
offered by hospitals. On the heels of the launch of Maryland eCare to
provide around-the-clock remote monitoring of ICU patients, Atlantic General
expanded much needed behavioral health care services in 2009 through a
telemedicine partnership with therapists at Sheppard Pratt, a psychiatric
hospital in Towson, Md.
Another such partnership, this time with Baltimore-based Kennedy Krieger
Institute, was forged in 2014 to provide diagnosis and treatment for developmental
disabilities in children, including autism spectrum disorder. Particularly
in the case of developmental health, IT helped bring critical services
that were otherwise inaccessible for many patients - and their families
- right to their community. Much of this was achieved through the expansion
of Maryland Broadband internet services on the Eastern Shore.
Building Patient Engagement
In redefining the way that they provide care in their communities, Most
Wired hospitals are using technology to build patient engagement with
the individual’s lifestyle in mind, which includes electronic access
to their care team. More than 60 percent of Most Wired hospitals use social
media to provide support groups. Since April of 2015, patients of both
the medical and surgical weight loss programs at Atlantic General Bariatric
Center have been able to take advantage of the support of fellow patients
and members of their care team in a very active closed Facebook group,
where individuals share their struggles and successes, recipes and exercise
tips, and other helpful information.
Improving Population Health
Most Wired hospitals are also using population health management tools
and partnering with other health care providers to share clinical information
so they can provide additional outreach to key patient groups, such as
those with diabetes. More than half of these hospitals have connected
their electronic health record data to population health tools to accomplish
this type of interaction.
At Atlantic General, nurses in the Patient Centered Medical Home program
reach out to recently discharged patients identified as being at risk
for readmission, to make sure they’re taking any prescribed medication
properly and have scheduled - and plan to keep - the necessary follow
up appointments with their doctors. This risk stratification is based
upon key pieces of data within the patients’ electronic health records.
Access to Electronic Health Records
In 2013, Atlantic General built their Patient Electronic Record Keeping
Service (PERKS), following with the launch of the PERKS Patient Portal
in May of 2014. The hospital was ahead of the curve. Less than 16 percent
of hospitals nationwide were able to meet the health IT requirements of
Meaningful Use in the first year, which included standards related to
the secure collection, sharing and use of electronic health information
in patient care, within the original timeframes set forth by the federal
government. Atlantic General Hospital was one of them. The hospital is
now in the process of expanding the capabilities of the PERKS patient
portal to make it more convenient and useful for patients, including scheduling
of appointments in real time and sharing of relevant health education.
Detailed results of the HealthCare’s Most Wired® survey and study
can be found in the July issue of
Health & Hospitals Networks. For a full list of winners, visit
www.hhnmag.com.