Health Information Technology Structural Measures
This NQF project seeks to identify and endorse a set of structural performance measures for quality improvement related to the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR), electronic prescribing (e-Prescribing), care management tools, and patient registries.

Nurses say IT security requirements impede nursing productivity
Nurses are concerned that stringent IT security policies designed to protect patient health information may be impeding productivity at the point of care, according to a recent survey of IT adoption among U.S. nurses. Nurses interviewed in the nationwide survey by market research firm Spyglass Consulting Group reported logging in and out of healthcare IT systems upwards of 80 times per day, significantly slowing clinical workflow.

eHealth Initiative's Fourth Annual Survey of Health Information Exchange at the State, Regional and Community Levels
Overall, those health information exchange initiatives who have participated in the eHI annual survey have matured. While in 2006, there were 26 fully operational health information exchange initiatives, 32 reported that they were fully operational in 2007. Overall, the percentage of health information exchange initiatives exchanging data is on the rise with 34 percent of 2007 respondents currently exchanging lab data and 32 percent exchanging data related to outpatient episodes, up from 26 percent and 21 percent respectively, in 2006. Exchange of emergency department episodes, inpatient episodes, outpatient laboratory results, and radiology results are also up from 2006, with 30 percent, 28 percent, 28 percent, and 26 percent, respectively, offering these services in 2007.

Memorial staff says electronic patient records more secure than paper
Peel expressed concern for the easy access to these real-time electronic records, which at Memorial are accessible from the bedside computer work stations, a central wall-mounted computer on each floor, and from computers at doctors' homes and offices. "Not only do patients have no control over who can see or use their electronic medical records today in the U.S. and in hospitals — typically all members of the hospital staff can see the records of any patient — think about George Clooney," Peel said. "All hospital employees have full access to the entire system." (Ed. and this is bad?)

Ensuring Medication Reconciliation
Upon entering a transfer order into the electronic system, physicians using CPOE are now prompted to reconcile all orders. a complete list of all current orders is printed and transferred with the patient to the new unit. Those physicians still writing orders manually complete a similar form by hand. This form is also transferred with the patient to the new unit. Putting this solution in place supported the hospital's goals of eliminating the current copying of orders by physicians and nurses and ensuring that all medications are being reconciled at transfer. Two months after implementation the percentage of unreconciled medications was reduced from 38% in August to 10% at the close of the project. Utilization of forms had increased at admission, transfer and discharge. To sustain these improvements and continue to monitor progress, a dashboard was created a including 6 key metrics.

Investing in the Right Technologies for Health-IT
Mollie Coye: What clinical and information technologies do you see as having the biggest impact on health care delivery in the next few years?