Innovation

Technology

Health information technology can help hospitals to better coordinate care and improve patient safety, and give patients better access to their health records. The most common forms of health information technology are electronic medical records (EMRs) and social networking.

The most recent EMR innovations at Children’s Health include:

• Introduction of embedded clinical pathways into hospital workflows. These clinical pathways decreased variation in care, which improved patient outcomes and quality of care, particularly for patients with bronchiolitis, asthma and appendicitis.
• Improvements in compliance with clinical guideline recommendations, including education, easy-to-use order sets, and data sharing to support clinical pathways
• Use of multiple strategies for engaging patients and their families in their own care using EMRs:
• Offering a customized online experience for patients and families that allows them to connect with one another through social media, communicate with clinicians via direct messaging, and provide physicians with clinically-relevant data through remote care logs
• Introduction of Personal Health Records (PHRs) that have the capacity to receive and collect health information from multiple locations into a single electronic HealthVault controlled by the consumer (this project is still in the pilot stage and has not yet been fully implemented.)

Telehealth

Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, is the use of technology to exchange medical information between providers. This innovative approach to patient care allows physicians to consult with one another without traveling to remote sites. Current and upcoming telemedicine services at Children’s Health include:

• TeleNICU:  A dedicated neonatal telehealth service that uses specialized equipment that allows neonatologists at Children’s Health to examine newborns virtually, at distant-site NICUs. The Children’s Health TeleNICU service can be used for a wide range of consults, including interpreting medical data and images, confirming diagnoses, and conferring on treatment plans. 

• VGo Robot: The VGo Robot, the newest technology aid that Children’s Health provides patients who are not able to physically attend school.

Collaboration

Sharing of ideas between organizations can lead to newer and more innovative methods of providing patient care, which helps to ensure that all children in our community are receiving optimal care. Children’s Health℠ has developed collaborative relationships with many local healthcare organizations, as well as with community organizations. Those relationships have helped us to:

• Improve the ways we use technology
• Provide continuing education programs to keep staff up-to-date on the latest healthcare innovations and treatment methods
• Examine the quality of life for children in north Texas
• Provide wellness programs and preventive care in remote locations
• Prevent childhood injuries
• Fight childhood obesity