MDH Named 2017 Most Wired

Chicago, IL -- Technology is making it easier for patients and providers to interact, thus improving communication, safety and patient-provider relationships. New tools are helping patients become more actively involved in their care and maintaining their health, according to results of the 19th Annual Health Care’s Most Wired® survey, released July 10, 2017 by the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Forum.

McDonough District Hospital received the recognition of Most Wired in the Small and Rural Hospital category. MDH is one of 29 hospital in Illinois to receive the “Most Wired” recognition.

According to the survey, Most Wired hospitals are using smart phones, telehealth and remote monitoring to create more ways for patients to access health care services and capture health information. This year’s results show:

• 76% offer secure messaging with clinicians on mobile devices.
• 74% use secure e-mails for patients and families to keep in touch with the care team when patients need ongoing monitoring at home.
• 68% simplify prescription renewals by letting patients make requests on mobile devices.
• 62% add data reported by patients to the electronic health record to get a better picture of what is going on with the patient.
• Nearly half of the hospitals are using telehealth to provide behavioral health services to more patients.
• 40% offer virtual physician visits.
• More than 40% provide real-time care management services to patients at home for diabetes and congestive heart failure.

“It’s an honor to be recognized with the Most Wired Award for Small and Rural hospitals,” states Harlan Baker, MDH Chief Information Officer. “Our efforts to combine the electronic health record for our hospital and clinic patients is providing better integration of their health information for treatment of their health conditions. This has truly been a team effort across the entire McDonough District Hospital organization and in cooperation with all of our medical staff that serve our patient population.”

“The Most Wired hospitals are using every available technology option to create more ways to reach their patients in order to provide access to care,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “They are transforming care delivery, investing in new delivery models in order to improve quality, provide access and control costs.”

HealthCare’s Most Wired® survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, 2017, is published annually by Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN). The 2017 Most Wired® survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. The survey of 698 participants, representing an estimated 2,158 hospitals — more than 39 percent of all hospitals in the U.S. — examines how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based health care in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management; quality and safety; and clinical integration.

For a full list of winners, visit www.hhnmag.com.