JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas (July 16, 2015) -- For the fourth consecutive year, San Antonio Military Medical Center, or SAMMC, has been named one of the nation's "Most Wired" medical facilities for its innovative use of health information technology.
The Hospitals and Health Networks magazine named only two Army Medical Command facilities as "Health Care's Most Wired" out of more than 2,213 U.S. hospitals. SAMMC and Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, were among the 338 organizations, which made the list.
"Being selected for 'Most Wired' is a great honor; we should be proud of this accomplishment," said Army Lt. Col. David Bowen, BAMC's chief information officer. "I'm very proud to be a part of this winning team."
To be named "Most Wired," hospitals must meet requirements in the following areas: infrastructure; business and administrative management; clinical; quality and safety (inpatient and outpatient hospital); and clinical integration (ambulatory, physician, patient and community). This year, hospitals also were required to demonstrate meaningful use of technology.
SAMMC was recognized for demonstrating some of the most advanced information technology, or IT, use and adoption in the nation, Bowen said. "It's exciting to use technology to connect with patients and improve not just care delivery but the overall health of our military community," he said.
Bowen spotlighted one program, which has sparked considerable improvement in patient engagements. In 2013, Southern Regional Medical Command offered BAMC the opportunity to integrate, test and clinically evaluate iMedConsent. The goal of this project, he explained, was to adapt and deploy an electronic consent solution.
The program prepares procedure-specific, user-friendly consent forms for medical and surgical procedures, patient education documents, advance directives and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, disclosures. The forms are in an easy-to-read format that ensures clear communication of risks, expectations and alternatives. The electronic sign, or e-sign, tool completes the process to paperless signing.
An electronic consent form benefits both patients and providers, Bowen said. Patients receive a legally standardized consent form that's clear, concise, legible, and easily retrieved by providers. Further, the e-sign tool represents a high-tech and much-needed response to the growing inefficiencies of lost or incorrect consents and resultant delays in procedures and operating start times, he added.
"The clinical staff at SAMMC has wholeheartedly embraced this new capability, and iMedConsent is rapidly being deployed in every ward and clinic," Bowen said.
The program has made tremendous strides, he said. The original average for missing or problematic consents reported as having a negative impact on operating room start times or patient care was approximately 46 percent. According to recent data, the percentage of missing or incorrect consent forms is now less than 1 percent.
To date, 11,619 consents have been completed and stored electronically in iMedConsent, Bowen said. "This dovetails nicely with our efforts to improve patient engagement."
Bowen said he's thrilled to see BAMC selected for the "Most Wired" honor for the fourth year in a row. "I attribute this ongoing success to leadership support, teamwork, dedication, and to the BAMC IMD [Information Management Division] team," he said. "It is so important to stay cutting edge for our staff and patients."
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