Everyone Has a Story to Tell

So, what’s different about HIMSS and its Stories of Success! program? There are numerous types of case studies that recognize HIT success, sponsored by a variety of organizations, that fly into our in-boxes as “late breaking news.” These are often self-reported overviews of the use of health IT by vendors or their star clients.

What’s typically missing is a structured format to capture the reported information.

This type of format assists the reader in understanding the story of the problem at hand, the barriers encountered, the cost implications, and the value that was derived from the health IT solution.
This structured approach also allows the reader to compare one case study to another.

The HIMSS Stories of Success! program highlights case studies that show how various types of health IT can be leveraged to meet national patient safety goals, and ultimately, improve healthcare quality and patient safety.

Difference #1 and #2 about the HIMSS Stories of Success! program

#1- The SQUIRE?

The HIMSS Stories of Success! program uses the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence or SQUIRE Guidelines – www.squirestatement.org – as the basis for its case study submission form, which requires detailed process descriptions, improvements, and outcomes.

The Stories of Success! Peer Review Body modified the SQUIRE methodology with the intent to capture from applicants how health IT impacts patient safety and quality outcomes.

As an aside, the following journals support the SQUIRE guidelines: American Journal of Nursing, Annals of Internal Medicine, British Medical Journal, Canadian Journal of Diabetes, Implementation Science, Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, Journal of General Internal Med, Journal of Nursing Care Quality, and Quality & Safety in Health Care.

#2 – Stories of Success! – Leveraging HIT to meet national patient safety goals and recommendations

The purpose of the Stories of Success! is to demonstrate how health IT can be leveraged to fulfill national patient safety goals and recommendations.

The following are two examples of the 16 case studies selected from the first cycle of submissions to the HIMSS Stories of Success! Case Study Program:

A 37% increase in compliance of documented hand-off communication between providers through a surgical HIT system meeting the National Patient Safety Goal of “Hand-off Communication” and national recommendation of “Care Coordination.”
A greater than 25% reduction in blood acquisition costs through the use of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) and standardization and reduction of blood transfusions which demonstrates the national recommendation of reducing “Overuse” in the healthcare system.

Stories of Success! – What do your peers have to say?

Each of the 16 case studies selected to date are posted for you to read and learn how patient care has been improved through innovative use of health IT, including five recorded webinars – at http://www.himss.org/storiesofsuccess/caseStudies.asp - that describe the case studies in additional detail.

A 3-minute video of Dr. Eric Hartz describing his selected case study and the value of participating is posted at http://www.himss.org/storiesofsuccess/whyApply.asp

So, there is a difference!
So, much in the same fashion as the cartoon where the little boy wearing a diaper is standing next to the little girl without a diaper, and the little boy peeks down his diaper, and he says, “Ahh, so, there is a difference!,” the HIMSS Stories of Success! program is unique in how it captures health IT stories and the value it brings to the industry.

Let me know your thoughts about the SQUIRE tool and the value of the Stories of Success! case studies.

If you have a story to share, please submit to dcollins@himss.org by 10/22/10.