FORT WAYNE — For the third year in a row, Parkview Health has been recognized by the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Forum as a Most Wired® hospital. The Most Wired hospitals are using information technology (IT) to build patient engagement with the individual’s lifestyle in mind, which includes electronic access to their care team.

The 18th annual Most Wired survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, is published by Health & Hospitals Networks (H&HN). The Most Wired survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring IT use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. The 2016 survey of 680 participants, representing an estimated 2,146 hospitals – more than 34 percent of all hospitals in the U.S. – examines how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based health care in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management, quality and safety, and clinical integration.

“We at Parkview Health take an innovative approach to IT and performance improvement to create a better exchange of health information between our patients and their care teams. It’s about enhancing both safety and access, as well as building a positive experience for the patient,” said Ron Double, Chief Information Officer, Parkview Health. “We are honored to be recognized as an industry leader in health IT integration for the third year in a row.”

Parkview Health is one of 13 hospitals in Indiana to be named Most Wired in 2016 and the only health system in northeast Indiana to be recognized.

“Hospitals are breaking-out of their traditional four walls and providing care where and when patients need it,” said Rick Pollack, President and CEO of the AHA. “These Most Wired hospitals exemplify this transformation by harnessing technology, engaging patients and offering services remotely. And, removing policy and other barriers to telehealth will allow even faster adoption of these amazing technologies.”

Detailed results of the Most Wired survey and study can be found in the July issue of H&HN.