Franklin Memorial Named Among the Nation’s Most Wired Hospitals Again!

Most Wired Hospitals Focus on Security and Patient Engagement

Farmington¾

 

Franklin Memorial Hospital (FMH) has again been named as one of the nation’s most wired hospitals according to the results of the 2015 Health Care’s Most Wired™ survey released today in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

 

Franklin Memorial Hospital was one of 400 hospitals recognized in one of three categories: Most Wired (338), Most Wired – Small and Rural (36), and Most Improved (26). FMH received its recognition for Most Wired – Small and Rural.

 

The 2015 Most Wired™ survey and benchmarking study, in partnership with College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and sponsored by VMware, is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. The survey examined how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based healthcare in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration.

 

According to the survey, hospitals are taking more aggressive privacy and security measures to protect and safeguard patient data. Top growth areas in security among this year’s Most Wired organizations include privacy audit systems, provisioning systems, data loss prevention, single sign-on and identity management.

 

This year’s Most Wired hospitals are utilizing the benefits of a patient portal to get patients actively involved in their health and healthcare. For instance, 89 percent of Most Wired organizations offer access to the patient portal through a mobile application. 

 

Franklin Memorial Hospital has made information technology a priority in recent years. Most recently, access to a patient portal was given to all Franklin Health primary care patients with computer access. This patient portal is a secure website that gives patients convenient 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an Internet connection. Using a secure user name and password, patients can view their test results, office visit summaries, medication list, and request prescription refills and appointments. Patient portals have been found to enhance patient-provider communication, empower patients, support care between visits and, most importantly, improve patient outcomes.

 

Rebecca Arsenault, president of Franklin Community Health Network (FCHN) and Franklin Memorial Hospital, said being recognized six times, and for the last five consecutive years is an important milestone. “This is a very prestigious and much sought after award. Those recognized are extending the use of IT systems outside hospital walls, including connecting directly with patients to improve patient engagement and ultimately patient care.”

 

“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.”