07/29/2015

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Named 2015 Most Wired

Most Wired Hospitals Focus on Security and Patient Engagement

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital has been named one of the nation’s 2015 “Most Wired” Hospitals and Health Systems by Hospitals & Health Networks, a journal of the American Hospital Association (AHA). The Most Wired distinction recognizes hospitals for their use of information technology to improve quality care and patient safety.

Health data security and patient engagement are top priorities for the nation’s hospitals, according to results of the 17th annual HealthCare’s Most Wired™ survey, released in July. Hospitals are taking more aggressive privacy and security measures to protect and safeguard patient data, including increasing use of privacy audit systems, provisioning systems, data loss prevention, single sign-on and identity management. Hospitals are also using IT to better facilitate information exchange across the care settings.

“There were three areas the survey focused on to determine the Most Wired Hospitals. These areas are meeting the CMS Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements, Data Analytics for Population Health and data security. Protecting patient information is a constant priority and becomes more complicated when we use information technology to support the best coordination of care between our physicians, the hospital and our patients,” says Jeff Pollock, Chief Information Officer for Wentworth-Douglass Health System.

With 741 participants, representing more than 2,213 hospitals, HealthCare’s Most Wired™ survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. Wentworth-Douglass was one of seven New Hampshire hospitals named Most Wired.

“Congratulations to our nation’s Most Wired hospitals for harnessing the potential of information technology to improve quality care and patient safety and lower health care costs,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “At the forefront of the field, these hospitals are setting the bar for protection of patient data through discerning security measures.” Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of Hospitals &Health Networks. For a full list of winners visit www.hhnmag.com.