Remember the connect-the-dots pictures we all drew as kids? Depending on their complexity, you could drag your pencil from dot to dot and come up with anything from a simple five-point star to a complete cityscape of brownstones, storefronts and skyscrapers.
So, what do those dots have to do with you? As a leader in healthcare, you continue striving to connect the dots every day — only the “dots” are clinicians and patients, departments and facilities; the “lines” between dots are lines of communication; and the “picture” you hope to complete is one of top-quality, cost-effective healthcare.
The concept of “connected care” is important in today’s atmosphere of accountable care and mergers and acquisitions. While small practices still exist, it’s increasingly common to see five-hospital systems joining up with six-hospital systems; two and three-physician practices marrying into 20 and 30-physician practices. Additionally, all of these entities can merge into sprawling, multi-site organizations with disparate clinical systems.
No matter what care setting you’re in, connected care is all about getting the right data to the right place at the right time quickly, efficiently and accurately.