CHICAGO – HIMSS Analytics, a subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, will recognize 15 hospitals with its first Stage 7 Award at the HIMSS Annual Conference next month in Chicago.

The award recognizes the hospitals as having attained the highest level on the EMR Adoption Model.

The 15 hospitals are part of two integrated delivery systems. Twelve are from Kaiser Permanente, based in Oakland, Calif., and three are  from the NorthShore University HealthSystem, based in Evanston, Ill.

"Stage 7 hospitals represent best practice models for U.S. hospitals seeking to implement electronic medical record environments that improve patient safety, clinical outcomes and patient care delivery efficiency," said Mike Davis, HIMSS Analytics' executive vice president. "We look forward to more U.S. hospitals achieving this level of electronic medical record capabilities, which we will continue to evaluate on an ongoing basis."

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 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 use of information technology applications with the intent of reaching Stage 7, which represents an advanced patient record environment.

Stage 7 hospitals:

• deliver patient care without the use of paper charts;
• are able to share patient information by sending secure standardized summary record transactions to other care providers;
• use their vast database of clinical information to drive improved care delivery performance, patient safety clinical decision support and outcomes using business intelligence solutions;
• and are best practice examples of how to implement sophisticated EMR environments that fully engage their clinicians.