UCLA hospitals have been named among the nation's "Most Wired" for the second consecutive year in a survey by Hospitals and Health Networks magazine.
As health care transitions to more integrated and patient-centered care, hospitals are utilizing information technology to better connect a patient's various health care providers in order to provide better medical care, according to an article accompanying the survey in the magazine's July issue.
UCLA has continued to put in place systems and people to leverage advanced technology to help extend its patient-centered care — including, in 2013, the implementation of a comprehensive electronic health record system. UCLA Health System also has invested in advanced information systems to better connect with other Los Angeles area health care providers.
"To make the leap from current health delivery models to future models of population health management and accountable care, a fully integrated operational, business and IT strategy is essential," said Virginia McFerran, chief information officer for UCLA Health System.
Hospitals named to the list meet a set of rigorous criteria across four operational categories — infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and clinical integration. The publication noted that hospitals in the survey have used technology to make significantly reduce the likelihood of medical errors. For example, 81 percent of the hospitals on the list use bar code technology at the patient bedside to match medications to the patient.
"The Most Wired data show that shared health information allows clinicians and patients to have the information they need to promote health and make the most informed decisions about treatments," says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, which publishes Hospitals and Health Networks. "Hospitals, their clinicians and their communities are doing tremendous work to enhance their IT systems in ways that support care and delivery improvement, and patient engagement goals."
The Most Wired survey was conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15. Respondents completed 680 surveys, representing 1,900 hospitals, or more than 30 percent of all U.S. hospitals.
The American Hospital Association is a nonprofit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.
The 2014 Most Wired survey is conducted in cooperation with McKesson Corp., AT&T, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and the American Hospital Association.
The UCLA Health System has for more than half a century provided the best in health care and the latest in medical technology to the people of Los Angeles and the world. Comprising Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; UCLA Health - Santa Monica Medical Center; the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA; UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital; and the UCLA Medical Group, UCLA Health, with its wide-reaching system of primary care and specialty care offices throughout the region, is among the most comprehensive and advanced health care systems in the world. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. For information about clinical programs or help in choosing a personal physician, call 800-UCLA-MD1 or visit www.uclahealth.org.
