UAB Health System among the most wired in the nation

This is the 10th year the UAB Health System has been included in the most-wired listing; 1,570 hospitals, or roughly 27 percent of all U.S. hospitals, were included in the survey.

Hospitals are surveyed on their use of Internet technologies in four core areas; infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety and clinical integration. Hospitals must meet standards in all four areas to achieve the most wired designation.

In comparing hospitals and health systems across the country, HHN found that the most-wired hospitals:

• Use computers to enable physicians to check or order patient tests.
• Enter medications orders electronically.
• Enable patients to perform billing functions via computer.
• Conduct more pre- and post-implementation evaluations of IT projects.
• Maintain a larger proportion of their medical records in a paperless format.
• Provide digital imaging to more clinical disciplines in a wider range of settings.
• Employ a broader set of telemedicine services.

• Deploy more IT educational resources for staff.

“This continued recognition of the UAB Health System as ‘Most Wired,’ by HNN reflects our strong commitment to information technology as a strategic imperative,” said Joan C. Hicks, UABHS chief information officer. “I am so proud of the HSIS staff for their exemplary work effort to achieve this recognition.”

At UABHS, physicians are able to manage a number of clinical functions online, including checking laboratory and imaging results, reviewing clinical notes from other health-care providers and entering patient-care notes and medication orders.

UAB provides health information directly to the public through its Health System website, www.uabmedicine.org, and the main UAB website, www.uab.edu. It also offers information for referring physicians via www.uabmedicine.org/web/medicalprofessionals/.