The panel digs deeper

Next at the conference was a panel discussion led by Larry Tye, a former Boston Globe reporter. It included Louise Liand, SVP for Quality and Clinical Systems Support at the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals; Göran Henriks, Chief Executive of Learning and Innovation, The Qulturum in the County Council of Jönköping; and Uma Kotagal, SVP for Quality and Transformation at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Louise explained the implementation of the electronic medical record system at Kaiser. Göran talked about the learning environment in Sweden in general, gaining knowledge from the success of others. He also discussed the use of physician extenders and real-time monitoring to create better access and results in the orthopaedic arena. Uma explained her hospital’s success in treating children with bronchialitis, focusing on the lack of evidentiary support for what had been the standard practice for treating patients, and modifying it to institute more efficacious approaches to the management of this disease -- which included a much closer relationship with community physicians to keep children out of the hospital in the first place.

What works, asked Larry, that could inform this conference audience? This is a continuing learning process, even for us, said all three. Göran said it well: “We need to meet systems that have energy in this field, so we can be refueled in our own efforts.” "If you hear about something good, get on a plane and find out!", said Uma.