Three Memorial Hermann Healthcare System hospitals in Houston have achieved Stage 6 of the HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model, a level officials recognize as demonstrating significant advancement in IT capabilities.

The three hospitals are Memorial Hermann Katy, Sugar Land and Southeast. They are part of Memorial Hermann's 11-hospital system, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas.

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics Database. Tracking their progress in completing eight stages (0-7), hospitals can review the implementation and utilization of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced electronic patient record environment.

HIMSS officials recognize Stage 6 hospitals as appearing to have a significant advantage over competitors for patient safety, clinician support, clinician recruitment, and competitive marketing for both consumers and nurse recruitment. The hospitals at this level have almost fully automated/paperless medical records and have either starting to evaluate their data for care delivery process improvements, or have already documented significant improvements in this area.  

Stage 6 hospitals are also recognized as having made investments that are within reach of most hospitals and recognize the strategic value of improving patient care with the EMR and have begun to create strategic alignments with their medical staff to effectively use information technology to improve the patient safety environment. Hospitals at this level are also well positioned to provide data to key stakeholders – such as payers, the government, physicians, consumers and employers – to support electronic health record environments and health information exchanges.

In the last five years, Memorial Hermann has created a single electronic medical record across its 11 hospitals, but Memorial Hermann Katy, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, and Memorial Hermann Southeast hospitals have used the most advanced capabilities with complete digital imaging, voice recognition for physician reports, bar coding medication administration, computerized physician order entry, and clinical decision support. These advanced features have resulted in improvements in operational efficiency, clinical quality and patient safety, said officials.

"A critical aspect of our success to date has been the fact that implementing an electronic medical record is not really a goal by itself," said Robert Murphy, MD, chief medical informatics officer. "We see our EMR as a tool to help create the best patient outcomes. We have responded to the medical and clinical staff leadership in our hospitals to find ways in which technology can help them deliver outstanding and efficient care."

As an example of this, the three hospitals that have attained the Stage 6 designation have achieved "closed-loop" medication management. Physicians use computerized order entry with clinical decision support to ensure correct medication dosing and prevention of drug interactions. Pharmacists receive these orders without having to decipher handwriting, and use automated dispensing systems to have individual medication doses available on nursing units. Nurses also use bar coding technology to confirm the correct medication for the correct patients, and the computer checks all of this with the original physician order.

"Each component is an important step in improving medication safety," said Murphy. "But it is the final culmination of having all aspects in place that creates a highly reliable process for patient safety. We are very pleased that our Katy, Sugar Land and Southeast hospitals have reached the Stage 6 level for an advanced electronic medical record."

"HIMSS Analytics congratulates Memorial Hermann for leading the way toward health IT adoption," said John Hoyt, FACHE, FHIMSS, executive vice president, organizational services, for HIMSS. "Stage 6 represents a level of sophistication that only 150 U.S. hospitals have reached to date."