Posted on July 26, 2004 at 8:15 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The UAB Health System is again included in a listing of “Healthcare's 100 Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems.” Results of the 2004 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study were released July 20 by Hospitals and Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association.

This is the fifth straight year the UAB Health System has been included in the listing since Hospitals and Health Networks began conducting the survey six years ago. Hospitals are surveyed on their use of Internet technologies for safety and quality, customer service, disaster readiness, business processes and workforce issues. The “most wired” hospitals use computers to allow physicians to check or order patient tests, enter medication orders electronically, and allow patients to perform billing functions via computer.

“Our information systems provide quick, accurate, comprehensive clinical data to our health care professionals, enhancing patient care,” says Michael Waldrum, M.D., M.S., CIO of the UAB Health System. “We continue to look for innovative ways to use the latest technology to improve medical care and information management.”

At UAB Health System, physicians are able to perform a host of clinical functions on-line. They can check laboratory results, clinical notes from other healthcare providers, or enter patient care orders. “This is all done in a secure environment that protects patient confidentiality,” Waldrum says.

UAB also provides health information for the public through its Health System Web site, www.health.uab.eduwww.uabmedicine.org/, and the main UAB Web site, www.uab.edu.