Exeter Health Resources Named 'Most Wired'

For the fifth consecutive year, Exeter Health Resources has been named one of the nation’s Most Wired health care organizations for its use of information technology.

This year, the local health care organization received the highest level of recognition given out to hospitals in the nationwide Most Wired ranking, according to the 2012 Most Wired Survey released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

The Most Wired survey focuses on how the nation’s hospitals use technology for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business processes and workforce issues. As a field, hospitals are focused on expanding and adopting IT that protects patient data, and optimizes patient flow and communications, according to the Most Wired 2012 Survey released this month. The survey found that social media is catching on among the Most Wired hospitals for crisis communications, as nearly one half compared with one-third of total responders, including Exeter Health Resources, use this media.

“Our organization’s staff and providers have been willing to adopt and use health information technology to improve performance in a number of areas over the past few years,” said David Briden, Chief Information Officer for Exeter Health Resources. “That willingness on their part to learn and accept new technology has helped our organization become more efficient in everything we do and has also led to improved patient care and safety.”

Exeter Health Resources has implemented a number of new technologies over the past few years. The healthcare system now utilizes automated physician documentation and automated physician order entry. This computerized system put in place safeguards that give reminders about drug interactions and drug allergies when medications are ordered. Adopting these two technologies put Exeter Health Resources among the top tier of the 1,570 hospitals across the country that took part in the Most Wired Survey.

“As shown by these survey results, hospitals continue to demonstrate how IT not only can be used to improve patient care and safety but it is also a means to improve efficiency,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “Hospitals receiving Most Wired recognition are truly representative of our nation's hospitals and systems – rural and urban, small and large, teaching and non-teaching, and critical access hospitals geographically dispersed.”

Other advances in technology at Exeter Health Resources have included electronic medical records systems, bar coding of the hospital’s medications and blood supply, an automated documentation system in the Emergency Department, patient portals and e-prescribing services at Core Physicians.

“Taking part in the Most Wired Survey both validates that we are staying abreast of the current trends at the most progressive hospitals for our use of IT and serves as a tool for us to continue to identify and implement new information technology that will help us improve patient care, quality and efficiency,” said Briden. “Our staff has worked collaboratively to help us get to this point and their knowledge, expertise, and dedication have enabled us to become a leader in the use of information technology in the health care industry.”

Health Care’s Most Wired Survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 662 surveys, representing 1,570 hospitals, or roughly 27 percent of all U.S. hospitals. The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.

Submitted by Exeter Health Resources.