Wishard Health Services

Wishard-Regenstrief Partnership for Healthcare Quality

The Wishard-Regenstrief Partnership for Healthcare Quality arose from early recognition of the need for more effective tools to find and organize clinical information. Inspired by their work within Wishard’s clinical settings, Regenstrief physician investigators over the years have sought methods to improve their delivery of high-quality, effective and efficient patient care. With Wishard providing the clinical laboratory for innovation, these physician informaticians and health-services researchers have brought dedication to the scientific method, data-based quality improvement and access to extramural funding. Over a forty year period, the Wishard Regenstrief Partnership for Healthcare Quality has conducted ground breaking work that provides the foundation for many organizations’ electronic medical record systems.

Much has been accomplished. Some of the highlights include:

• 40-year Wishard-Regenstrief partnership leveraging the tripartite academic mission of clinical service, education, and research
• 23 electronic interfaces from departmental Wishard systems to the electronic data repository
• 100% inpatient electronic physician notes
• Certified e-prescribing in all clinics
• An electronic health record that supports the patient-centered medical home
• One of the nation’s first practice-based research networks
• Multiple randomized trials documenting the value of computer reminders
• Nation’s first ambulance service to wirelessly extend the patient's EHR into the field
• The EHR has evolved into the “Indiana Network for Patient Care,” one of the nation’s most successful regional health information networks

The efforts of countless clinicians and investigators have culminated in many successes, documented in more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications. Along the way, they found computer reminders increased adherence to >1400 preventive care guidelines from 26% to 50%. Using computerized physician order entry workstations resulted in 13% lower hospital costs , one day shorter length of stay and an 80% reduction in adverse drug events in the outpatient setting. Computer reminders increased timely contact isolation of patients with prior resistant bacteria. Displaying prior test results resulted in 13% lower redundant outpatient test-ordering. A pharmacist-led adherence intervention in patients with heart failure lowered hospitalizations by 19% and health care costs by $4000/patient over 9 months. Computer reminders increased advance directive discussions by 7-fold.

The partnership remains robust and productive. Leadership remains committed to the enterprise, rejuvenated by efforts to completely rewrite the clinical software using the latest technologies