Key Elements: Transforming Care at the Point of Care

Transforming Care Case Examples

In 2007, the eHealth Initiative (eHI) presented its first annual Improving Healthcare Quality through Information and Information Technology Awards honoring eight organizations for demonstrating leadership and excellence in utilizing health information technology or health information exchange to drive improvements in the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare.

The awardees exemplify the principles and strategies identified in eHI's Blueprint: Building Consensus for Common Action. These organizations are models for how the use of health IT and health information exchange can support improvements in the quality, safety and efficiency of health care. The organizations listed below represent practices in the Transforming Care Delivery section of the Blueprint.

American Heart Association- Award Winner

To improve the quality of care for patients hospitalized with cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) launched the Get With The GuidelinesSM (GWTG) Program in the year 2000. The Get With The GuidelinesSM (GWTG) Program is designed to help hospitals improve the quality of care they provide to coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke patients by aligning treatment with the most current scientific guidelines. The program provides hospitals with a robust database and real-time benchmarking capabilities* toward the goal of enhancing patient outcomes and saving lives. The goal is to mobilize the top 1800 discharging acute care hospitals in the U.S to perform at 85% or higher on all performance measures; reducing coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25%.

Shared Health (Honorable Mention)

Shared Health provides Health Information Exchange Services to approximately 1.8 million patients across the state of Tennessee. Shared Health understood early on that clinician adoption of HIT is critical for benefits to be realized; therefore, the program includes a hands on Clinical Outreach Program designed to help physicians incorporate the HIE into their existing workflow. Clinical Outreach members work with provider practices and hospitals one on one until they are comfortable using the application for their patient population.