For the seventh time, UAB has been named one of the 'Most Wired" hospitals in the nation.UAB Health System has been named to the 2016 “Health Care’s Most Wired” list compiled by the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum and published in its Health & Hospitals Networks journal.
As part of the 18th annual list, the AHA surveyed some 2,146 hospitals, which account for more than 34 percent of all U.S. hospitals. The survey examines how medical centers are leveraging technology to improve performance in four key areas: infrastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration. Hospitals must meet standards in all four categories to achieve the “Most Wired” designation.
UAB Health System has been named to the list seven times over the past 11 years, including the past three consecutive years.
In presenting its 2016 list, the AHA notes that the most forward-thinking hospitals are using technology to protect health care data from hackers, connect remote locations through increased use of telehealth services, and improve patient care through better use of IT data.
Other findings from the survey:
- The top three telehealth services offered in hospitals are consultations and office visits, stroke care, and psychiatric examinations and psychotherapy.
- Stroke care is the most rapid growth area for telehealth services, up 38 percent from 2015, as evidence-based studies emphasize the time urgency of stroke care.
- More than 25 percent of hospitals use internet-enabled monitoring devices for chronic disease management of congestive heart failure, diabetes and heart disease.