Research and Projects: AHRQ THQIT and SRD Portfolio

Pennsylvania

Regional Approach for THQIT in Rural Settings

Description:  Conducts a formal clinical information and technical needs assessment to identify the optimal technical model for information sharing as well as actions required to overcome barriers; develops a project plan that will promote implementation of cost-effective clinical information services.

Abstract:  DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): This proposal is in response to AHRQ RFA-HS-04-010: "Transforming Healthcare Quality Through Information Technology-Planning Grant". Our title: "Regional Approach for THQIT in Rural Settings" partners three rural hospitals-two small hospitals (Sunbury and Shamokin Hospital) with a tertiary medical center (Geisinger Medical Center) and at least two private physician office practices to share health information technology (HIT). Our long term objectives are to: 1) improve the quality of care and patient safety (regardless of which partner's services the patient may be accessing); 2) provide basic clinical information services; 3) improve communication among patients, practices, and hospitals; 4) provide access to an expanding set of HIT services which would otherwise be unavailable to small, rural hospitals; and 5) improve local practice and local hospital viability. This planning grant would enable us to do a formal clinical information and technical needs assessment, identify the optimal technical model for information sharing, and identify barriers and the actions needed to overcome them. We intend to develop a set of relationships and independent governance structures and a project plan that will promote the incremental implementation of a set of cost-effective clinical information services that can be shared among the partners. The partners intend to capitalize on the unique IT experience that Geisinger has to offer in the areas of needs assessment, workflow analysis, IT expertise, and change-management to meet our goals of sharing clinical information that will benefit the patients and the patients' providers.

Year 1 Funding:  $200,000

Estimated Total Funding:  $200,000

Principal Investigator:  James Walker

Applicant Institution:  Geisinger Clinic

City/Town:  Danville, Pennsylvania

State:  Pennsylvania

Grant Number:  P20 HS15457

Category:  Planning Grants (THQIT)

Thesaurus Terms:  bioinformatics, health care facility information system, health care quality, health science research support, information dissemination, medical record, regional medical planning, rural health, technology /technique development, computer network, health disparity, public health, rural area, socioeconomics, health services research tag

Project Start Date:  Sep 30, 2004

Project End Date:  Sep 29, 2005