• Reduce readmission rates – Identify nursing units and patient subgroups that experience a high rate of readmissions. Pinpoint the drivers for readmissions and support process improvement strategies.

• Track physician orders and turnaround times – Examine patterns in physician orders by charges, time of day, and attending versus consulting physician. Track medication turnaround time from order placement to administration.

• Analyze operating trends, productivity, and outcomes of major product lines – Identify costs incurred in key areas like service delivery and drug utilization. Monitor profitability of inpatient and outpatient populations and examine resources for each patient stay to help reduce unnecessary interventions. Examine the financial impact of risk events such as falls, pressure ulcers, and hospital-acquired infections.

“Everybody talks about patient safety; everybody talks about quality of care. But as you implement these complex applications, have you improved safety or have you done the opposite of that? The only way you’ll know is to be able to measure. Our CEO says that if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it, and that’s what we’re trying to do at Denver Health in partnership with Siemens." 

Gregory Veltri, Chief Information Officer 
Denver Health and Hospital Authority