As healthcare organizations become increasingly digitized, and there’s much more to it than just EHRs, measuring the value of those technologies is not always straightforward matter.
"You've got to show value at all times," said Gary Barnes, CIO at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas. And the value proposition should always be part of discussions with other C-suite members in the organization as well as the board of directors.
"Think of what they're trying to do and present the data that supports those things," said Barnes, who has been at Medical Center Hospital for more than 30 years, taking on the role of CIO in 1992. "For example, bring ideas to the table of how we can improve our relationship with physicians or the community – and they start seeing the value that you bring into the organization."
Barnes and Asher Kramer, national director of strategic consulting at Leidos Health Consulting, are teaming up for a presentation at HIMSS15 about the increasing value of health IT and the CIO.
As organizations are changing their EHR and going to integrated systems, Barnes said, "the make-or- break for the organization is that information technology. There's a lot of money involved, and it's critical. Some of the best products fail without the right people engaged."
Barnes and Kramer have worked together on identifying and proving the value of health IT at Medical Center Hospital, which is a Leidos client.
Using Six-Sigma processes and "identifying the voice of the customer," Kramer and Barnes have worked together to better align IT work with the strategic goals of the hospital.
As Kramer sees it, many of the changes occurring in healthcare IT departments today have to do with the changing role of the CIO from one with a technical function to that of strategic partner within the organization.
As a consultant, Kramer has helped several organizational leaders understand this change.
Kramer brings with him a methodology for handling it all.
"No matter where you are geographically," he said, "no matter what size you are, it distills down to seven vital few areas."
They are:
1. IT governance
2. Training and adoption
3. Efficiency, quality and safety
4. Interoperability and communication
5. IT support
6. EMR integration
7. Supporting your organizational strategic goals
The session, How the CIO and IT provide Value to the C-Suite/Boardroom, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, 1-2 p.m. in room S100C.
Kramer's advice to CIOs? Reach out to people in all areas you serve – don't be insular.
