Christiana Care Wins Computerworld Award
For creating a unique software program that enables patients to use a self-assessment tool to evaluate their symptoms, Christiana Care won a 2012 Laureate award from International Data Group’s Computerworld Honors Program.
Computerworld annually honors companies demonstrating visionary applications of information technology promoting positive social, economic and educational change. Christiana Care won its award in the health category, one of ten classifications that in total received more than 500 nominations.
“This award is a wonderful honor for Christiana Care and is evidence of innovative thinking and collaboration of our clinical and Information Technology staff to improve the care we provide our patients,” says Karen Gifford, Christiana Care’s director of Information Technology.
“What the Computerworld Honors Laureates so clearly demonstrate is technology’s role in moving society forward,” says John Amato, vice president and publisher of Computerworld. “Computerworld acknowledges and applauds the outstanding work being done by individuals and organizations to successfully use technology to improve the quality of our lives and that of future generations.”
Christiana Care’s winning software program, called Insight, enables patients to use a tablet-based, clinician-friendly wireless format to report the severity of their symptoms and how they affect their quality of life. Patient feedback helped develop the program.
Cancer patients first used the tool in a pilot program in May 2010 followed by heart failure patients. Christiana Care’s Information Technology team is launching a new release this year for a wider patient audience for use with an Apple iPad.
Seventy-six percent of patients report they like using Insight, with 67 percent claiming the tool better prepares them to speak with their doctor. Doctors use the data to spark meaningful conversations with their patients.
“Insight makes it easier for the patient and the doctor to have a conversation about more sensitive issues or symptoms they might not otherwise volunteer,” says Theresa Gillis, M.D., medical director of Oncology Pain and Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Services at Christiana Care. “The patient’s ratings give ‘insight’ into their distress, their function and independence and their well-being. Patients seem more comfortable discussing feelings of anxiety and depression after using this tool.”
The 2012 Laureates receive public recognition at the Laureate Medal Ceremony and Gala Evening on June 4 in Washington D.C. At the event, Christiana Care’s winning entry is eligible for an additional honor. The judges single out one finalist in each category for special recognition.
Founded in 1988, The Computerworld Honors Program is the longest running global program that honors individuals and organizations for their use of information technology in innovative ways. Computerworld, with an online audience of more than 3.5 million unique, monthly visitors, is a leading source of technology news and information for IT influencers worldwide.