In attempting to improve patient care and outcomes, healthcare organizations are recognizing the need to benchmark their efforts and analyze appropriate data. Clinical and business intelligence (C&BI), which HIMSS defines as the aggregation, analysis and use of clinical, operational, financial and administrative data, is part of that effort in that it involves organizations using available data to directly inform decision-making and improve processes.

C&BI will be the focus of one of two Knowledge Centers (along with mobile technologies) featured at the 2014 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition.

"C&BI offers the potential to inform accountable, high-quality patient care and drive unparalleled business insight — all the while improving an organization’s fiscal performance," explained Shelley Price, director of payer and life sciences at HIMSS. "Our healthcare delivery system — fueled by the Affordable Care Act — is driving toward needed change to the system so that the triple aim of better care, quality, and valued is realized. C&BI is a critical, emerging area that brings people, processes and technology together in new ways to transform health and healthcare."

The C&BI Knowledge Center will feature over a dozen presentations on topics including:

• benchmarking clinical documentation integrity;
• providing advanced analytics through a health information exchange; and
• how analytics can drive quality and revenue in the OR.

More than 20 technology vendors will be on-hand at the Knowledge Center, located in Hall A, Booth 883, to answer questions and provide information.

In addition to the Knowledge Center, a pre-conference symposium will focus on linking clinical analytics and business intelligence to improve care and operational performance. The symposium will be held Feb. 23 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Room 330D.

Finally, from Feb. 23 through Feb. 27, approximately 30 general educational sessions will touch upon C&BI-related topics.

More information on the C & BI Knowledge Center can be found here.