Case study: WI hospital portal improves access

When IT managers at Milwaukee's Children's Hospital and Health System got started with development, all they had in mind was a single-sign in project that would simplify access to the hospital's many clinical applications. Over time, however, they realized that aggregating data from those applications was just as important. To launch the project, which took two years to implement, Children's spent about $500,000, including $300,000 in development costs. IT managers found it relatively easy to launch, too, given that it didn't involve installing new applications. Before launching, a group of 100 physicians, clinicians and IT staffers pilot-tested the portal until everyone felt it worked.

Now the portal, which uses technology developed by Medical Data Automation, puts needed clinical information into a single place online. For example, the portal allows caregivers to compare home and in-hospital medication lists side by side, making medication reconciliation far easier. It also gives physicians access to a single view of a patient's varied electronic records. Providers say that the portal has saved them a great deal of time and energy, while making it less likely that they lose critical details in the paper shuffle.

To learn more about the Children's initiative:
- read this Wisconsin Technology Network article

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