Recent trends in the business literature show a significant focus on the mechanics of the culture of organizations. Annual training reinforcing the quality and compliance requirements of organizations is a common end-of-year task. To provide some context for the training, it is important to look at the synergy between the cultures of compliance and quality, and how that synergy supports customer satisfaction. Continue reading
Leveraging Customer Feedback to Drive Successful HIT Partnerships
Customer feedback is a critical piece of any commercial relationship, and its impact in health IT can be particularly valuable – but timing is everything. For other industries,
customer feedback surveys and Likert scales at the end of a project may be effective means of measuring satisfaction. In healthcare, this type of qualitative feedback is often too little too late. IT vendors need to evaluate the customer’s perception of the product and its value at each stage of integration. Continue reading
Harnessing Early Adopters in Health IT
Part of the thrill of working in health IT comes from bringing something more than just a cool widget to market. As a nurse myself, I want to help fellow clinicians with software that solves problems. And, as part of the development process, we seek to partner with health systems to address their specific challenges.
Of course, not every health system can serve as an IT partner – but luckily, some customers are in a position to play a larger role by acting as early adopters. Continue reading
The Measurement of Healthcare Quality
What is quality? The dictionary defines quality as “a peculiar and essential 
characteristic; an inherent feature; or a degree of excellence.” For many charged with leading quality in healthcare, quality is often measured as a success in certification, a successful audit, or decreasing rejections. Instead, quality should be measured by what is experienced directly by the customer, the “value added” of what was received, and/or the perception of provider that was involved in the interaction, as both are customers of the healthcare institution.
Engaging Your Consumer: The New Wave of Healthcare Business
One of the major transformations in healthcare today centers on the development of the
patient as a consumer. Patients are driving a demand for increased connectivity with their providers, and have a growing expectation for convenient and customizable care.
As the consumerization of healthcare continues to evolve, the patient will play a larger role in overall healthcare IT strategy. As a result, health IT vendors will need to address changing consumer demands in an age of instant gratification and convenience. What are the driving forces behind this shift?
Why 2020 Will Be The M&A Tipping Point
Over a year ago, we predicted that 2019 would be the era of health IT M&A, with the transition to value-based care as a primary driver. The M&A activity in the first half of 2018 is proof of this momentum – healthcare-related M&A increased 23% compared to the second half of 2017.
How Can Hospital Culture Drive Improved Patient Care?
What makes a hospital great? 
Each year, a variety of industry lists designate which hospitals are ‘the best,’ including U.S. News & World Report rankings, CMS star ratings, Leapfrog grades and Truven Health Analytics. While many of these rankings use important metrics such as excellence in clinical care, patient outcomes and physician satisfaction, they often fail to recognize the intangible piece of what it truly takes to make a great hospital – culture. Great hospitals embrace foundational values that support day-to-day operations and encourage innovative ideas for continuous improvement.
