Christiana Care IT recognized for groundbreaking handoff tool eSignout

Christiana Care IT recognized for groundbreaking handoff tool eSignout

Randall Gaboriault
Randall Gaboriault

For the third consecutive year, Christiana Care Health System has been recognized for its national leadership in innovation with a CIO 100 Award by IDG’s CIO magazine. This year’s honor was awarded for eSignout, a clinical software solution created by Christiana Care that transforms the patient handoff — that critical moment when care transitions from one provider to another.

“The eSignout tool is transformative because it begins to create a smart-information process with the right technologies at the provider ’s fingertips.”

The annual CIO 100 Awards recognize 100 organizations that have distinguished themselves by creating business value through the best use of information technology.

“The eSignout tool is one of many examples of innovation that enable us to create greater value for those we are privileged to serve,” said Robert J. Laskowski, M.D., MBA, president and CEO of Christiana Care. “We invest in technology that helps us advance The Christiana Care Way.”

Studies show an estimated 80 percent of serious medical errors involve miscommunication between caregivers during patient handoffs, when responsibility for a patient — including important medical information about the person — passes from one caregiver to another, such as during shift changes.

The eSignout tool addresses potential handoff problems by eliminating handwritten documents and capturing detailed patient information such as demographic data and care plans in a confidential, secure, easy-to-view format that can be customized to meet each specialty’s unique needs. This ensures that the patient’s care is safe and coordinated.

“The eSignout tool is transformative because it begins to create a smart-information process with the right technologies at the provider’s fingertips,” said Randy Gaboriault, MBA, chief information officer for Christiana Care “The tool fits into existing workflows and converges information and context, thereby creating much greater value for providers and patients.”

Through the eSignout tool, patient information also can be shared between departments that are collaborating to treat patients with complex issues. The tool also makes clear the name of the clinician caring for the patient at any moment, a critical component in a hospital system with teams of caregivers.

The results of eSignout are impressive:

  • 500 providers are using the system each day.
  • 400 patients are being transitioned each day through the tool.
  • 90 percent of eSignout users give the tool top marks for effectiveness.
  • Handoff time has been reduced by more than 50 percent.

“Our 2014 winners are an outstanding example of the transformative power of IT to drive everything from revenue growth to competitive advantage,” said Maryfran Johnson, editor in chief of CIO Magazine & Events.

The eSignout tool has previously been recognized by Computerworld and InformationWeek.

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