CIO and industry visionary Dr. Rab utilizes Big Data and mobile apps to deliver exceptional patient experience
Hackensack University Medical Center (HackensackUMC), a member of Hackensack Meridian Health, recognized as one of the most progressive medical institutions in the country, has gone even further in digitally transforming its patients’ interactions. Led by Senior Vice President and Co-CIO Shafiq Rab, M.D., HackensackUMC is now able to leverage the massive amount of data – Big Data – available to benefit its patients while also making internal processes more efficient.
The medical center worked with Persistent Systems, a world leader in developing large-scale software-driven healthcare solutions, to deliver the best possible patient experience. Hackensack UMC is one of many transformative healthcare solutions Persistent has worked on around the world, reflecting the huge opportunity to use Big Data and software-driven environments to reshape doctor/patient interaction.
“Medicine is not just about science – it’s also about human beings. And likewise technology by itself cannot do anything. We must understand how consumers like to be treated, which demands an adaptive, agile team that can respond quickly to customer needs and changing technologies. Persistent understands. Persistent also understands that the human element is the most important element in healthcare.”
Dr. Rab was named innovator of the year in 2015 from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). The CHIME Innovator of the Year Award annually recognizes those who are at the forefront of adopting technology solutions aimed at arming clinicians and patients with information that can help them make better decisions, as well as reduce healthcare costs.
HackensackUMC is one of the first health systems in the nation to link patient-generated data from personal fitness devices and mobile apps to its electronic medical record, enabling clinicians to have a more complete view of a patient’s history.
“HackensackUMC has raised the bar of what can be done when you focus on a software-driven architecture, utilizing Big Data, while thinking first and foremost about the needs of the customers or in this case, patients. Our healthcare initiatives are particularly fulfilling as we see digital transformation dramatically changing how patients interact with clinicians.”
HackensackUMC also introduced the HackensackUMC Mobile Access app, which allows users to look up symptoms, find doctors, make appointments and receive reminders for upcoming appointments. If patients use MyChart, they can access test results, send their doctors data from fitness trackers and send and receive messages from their doctors. The app also helps reduce paperwork. Before seeing a doctor, most patients are greeted by a clipboard with several forms to fill out. On the app, when users first make an appointment they must register as a patient. This involves taking a selfie, scanning their driver’s license to verify their identity, scanning their insurance card, followed by filling out forms which can all be done at home.
Earlier this year, HackensackUMC was also proud to accept President Obama’s call to action to improve the interoperability of electronic health records as part of the President’s Precision Medicine Initiative. Hackensack UMC is one of a very select group of organizations that has accepted and delivered on this challenge based on the medical center’s strength in healthcare information technology, early adoption and advancement of interoperability standards as well as its ongoing commitment to patient experience.
To learn more, visit www.HackensackUMC.org.
