Researcher to investigate effective health information technology implementation

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For Immediate Release

November 19, 2014

Researcher to investigate effective health information technology implementation

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) has received a two-year, $300,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to investigate the use of technology to improve patient and family-centered care and engagement.

Onur Asan, PhD., assistant professor of general internal medicine and a member of MCW’s Center for Patient Care and Outcomes Research (PCOR), is the primary investigator of the grant.

Health information technology (HIT) is a set of technological tools used by providers aimed at improving the overall access, safety and efficiency of a health care system. This type of technology includes electronic health records (EHR), computerized provider order entry (CPOE) and other programs aimed at enhancing patients’ quality of care. Despite the rapid development of HIT, it is unclear whether the potential of these technologies has been fully realized. It is widely recognized in the information technology sector that implementing a certain technology does not necessarily guarantee its use. In fact, studies have shown that regardless of the purported quality of the technology, it is the perceptions of those intended to use the technology that determine both its use and benefits. Furthermore, there has yet to be evidence looking at these factors affecting the use of HIT by patients and providers. Thus, more developmental research is needed to determine how to successfully implement HIT that will be widely used and successful in improving patient care.

In this project, Dr. Asan, in collaboration with his colleagues Dr. Matthew Scanlon and Dr. Kathryn Flynn, will look to address this gap in the research. Dr. Flynn is assistant professor of general internal medicine and a member of MCW’s Center for Patient Care and Outcomes Research (PCOR) at MCW and Dr. Scanlon is associate director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

The study will investigate the perceptions held by the users for the new Patients’ Interactive Care Window (PICWi) implemented in patient rooms in Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit. The aim of this project will be to analyze the beliefs and needs of the patients and families and providers in the study to determine how these factors affect PICWi’s use. The results from the investigation will have important implications for patient care. By understanding the needs and held perceptions regarding HIT, technology can be made to be more efficient and accessible. This in turn will improve patients’ quality of life and potentially reduce health care costs.

This project is funded through NIH grant 1R21HS023626-01.

About the Medical College of Wisconsin

The Medical College of Wisconsin is the state’s only private medical school and health sciences graduate school. Founded in 1893, it is dedicated to leadership and excellence in education, patient care, research and community engagement. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in MCW’s medical school and graduate school programs in Milwaukee. New regional medical education campuses are scheduled to open in Green Bay in 2015, and in Central Wisconsin in 2016, with each recruiting initial classes of 20-25 students. A major national research center, MCW is the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and second largest in Wisconsin. In FY 2012-13, faculty received approximately $160 million in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes, of which approximately $144 million is for research. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, MCW faculty direct or collaborate on more than 2,000 research studies, including clinical trials. Additionally, more than 1,350 physicians provide care in virtually every specialty of medicine for more than 425,000 patients annually.