Improving the Quality of Healthcare in Central Oregon

描述（由申请人提供）：参与此拟议AHRQ规划过程的七家医疗保健组织是俄勒冈州中部和东部医院网络（CONet）的成员。 CONet是俄勒冈州最大的区域医院网络，也是该地区唯一一家合作改善农村医疗保健服务的医疗保健组织。 成员的合作历史包括创建和实施该州第一个也是唯一的农村远程医疗网络。 AHRQ规划拨款为CONet提供了一个特殊的机会，可以开发所需的HIT基础设施，以制定区域性的患者安全和优质护理方法。 小型CONet农村医院在财政上举步维艰，缺乏资源来专门规划所需的HIT基础设施。 俄勒冈州医疗服务最差的县位于CONet地区。 许多社区是联邦政府指定的医生短缺地区，没有医生。 所有俄勒冈州的联邦指定的边境县都位于CONet服务区。 CONet医院现有的计算机系统表现出不同程度的复杂性--从几乎所有的手工操作到不同程度的计算机化。 AHRQ计划拨款提供了一个相互合作的机会，共同开发一个综合的HIT，用于患者安全和优质护理解决方案。 规划拨款过程将为CONet提供机会，以确定将改善患者安全和护理质量的关键问题，包括分析满足该地区需求的技术解决方案的成本效益。 拟议的规划过程将需要聘请一名顾问，他将协助患者安全和护理质量教育和需求评估;将聘请第二名顾问，以帮助确定最能满足需求评估结果中确定的需求的区域技术。

DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The seven healthcare organizations participating in this proposed AHRQ planning process are members of the Central and Eastern Oregon Hospital Network (CONet). CONet is the largest regional hospital network in Oregon and is the only healthcare organization in the region working collaboratively to improve rural access to healthcare. The members' history of collaboration has included the creation and implementation of the state's first and only rural telemedicine network. The AHRQ planning grant represents an exceptional opportunity for CONet to develop the needed HIT infrastructure to develop a regional approach to patient safety and quality care. The small CONet rural hospitals struggle financially and lack the resources to dedicate to planning for needed HIT infrastructure. The most medically underserved counties in Oregon are in the CONet region. Many communities are federally designated physician shortage areas and do not have physicians. All of Oregon's federally designated frontier counties are located in the CONet service region. CONet hospitals manifest varying levels of sophistication with their existing computer systems--from almost everything done by hand to varying levels of computerization. The AHRQ planning grant offers an opportunity to cooperatively work with one another to jointly develop an integrated HIT for patient safety and quality care solutions. The planning grant process will provide CONet the opportunity to identify key issues that will improve patient safety and quality of care, including analyzing the cost-benefit of technical solutions to the region's needs. The proposed planning process will require hiring a consultant, who will assist with patient safety and quality of care education and needs assessment; a second consultant will be hired to help identify the regional technology that would best meet the need(s) identified from the results of the needs assessment.