mHealth mValue Case Study Submission program #NHITWeek

Share Your Stories of Mobile Health and Health IT Value - The mValue Case Study Submission program, powered by mHIMSS, provides stories of success and lessons learned from implementation and use of mobile health

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 17, 2013) – Focused on the value of mobile health for improving patient care and outcomes, mHIMSS, the mobile health initiative of HIMSS, will announce its new mValue Case Study Submission program at the mHIMSS Reception held on Sept. 17 during National Health IT Week in Washington, D.C.

As part of the case study program announcement, CHRISTUS Health, a health system based in Irving, Texas and with more than 60 hospitals and long-term care facilities in six US states and six states in Mexico, will preview the first mValue case study, “Improving Health at Home: Remote Patient Monitoring and Chronic Disease,” implemented at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System in Texarkana, Texas. This example focused on the health system’s success in reducing hospital readmissions through its remote patient monitoring system.

“mHealth is revolutionizing healthcare delivery, and the ability to collect stories of implementation to share lessons learned, which prevents reinventing the wheel. This story from CHRISTUS Health is so beneficial, as it shows that mobile technology is serving as a tool to increase satisfaction among patients and providers, decrease readmissions, decrease costs, and improve health,” said David Collins, senior director, mobile health initiatives, for HIMSS. “We encourage mHealth stakeholders to learn from each other and leverage the HIMSS mHealth Community, as we recognize the importance of showing how mobile technologies are being used, and can be used, to improve patient care and overall patient outcomes.”

Results of the CHRISTUS Health System Case Study: This health system improved the transition from hospital to home and prevented hospital readmissions for those enrolled using the remote patient monitoring system; the following preliminary results show health IT value on satisfaction and savings:

1. Overall patient satisfaction 4.77 on a 5.00 scale; and
2. Before enrollment in the RPMS program, the average cost of care was $12,937. After enrollment, the cost plummeted to $1,231.

“We are extremely excited about this program, which helps our patients remain healthy and in their homes,” said Dr. Luke Webster, vice president and chief medical information officer at CHRISTUS Health. “mHealth products like these are important components of how we will partner with patients as health systems take on increasingly more responsibility for keeping people healthy both inside and outside our hospital walls,” he said.

Read the complete case study from CHRISTUS Health.

Case study development: As noted in the first case study report, the mValue Case Study Submission program intersects the HIMSS Health IT Value Suite program, a comprehensive knowledge repository that classifies, quantifies and articulates the clinical, financial and business impact of health IT investments, with the mHIMSS Roadmap, a strategic framework for providers to implement mobile and wireless technologies. The mValue Case Study Submission program highlights the value providers have realized from mobile technologies. The Roadmap addresses six vital topics:

1. New Care Models,
2. ROI/Payment,
3. Policy,
4. Standards & Interoperability,
5. Privacy & Security, and
6. Technology.

How to submit a case study: Use the mValue Case Study Form on the mHIMSS website to submit a case study with selected case studies to be recognized in upcoming editions of the mHIMSS enewsletter “HotSpot” and the mHIMSS website. Contact David Collins at dcollins@himss.org with questions.

About HIMSS

HIMSS is a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information technology (IT). HIMSS leads efforts to optimize health engagements and care outcomes using information technology.

HIMSS is a part of HIMSS WorldWide, a cause-based, global enterprise producing health IT thought leadership, education, events, market research and media services around the world. Founded in 1961, HIMSS WorldWide encompasses more than 52,000 individuals, of which more than two-thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations across the globe, plus over 600 corporations and 250 not-for-profit partner organizations, that share this cause. HIMSS WorldWide, headquartered in Chicago, serves the global health IT community with additional offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia.