University Times

UPMC Health System’s use of computer technology to improve health care access has been recognized by Information Week magazine.

UPMC is ranked 5th among health care and medical industries and ranked 76th overall in the magazine’s 14th annual Top 500 listing of the most innovative users of information technology.

According to Information Week, to make the list a company must demonstrate a pattern of technological, procedural and organizational innovation. Companies were examined on various areas of operations, including technology development, information technology budget, technology strategies, E-business and customer knowledge initiatives and staff management.

Only parent companies with at least $1 billion in annual revenue are considered.

UPMC Health System’s technology initiative is designed to improve the quality of patient care, reduce errors and duplication of services and to be a more cost-effective system.

The centerpiece of the initiative is the development of an electronic health record to be integrated across the entire system. UPMC’s system represents the full continuum of care.

Other key features of the initiative involve the development and system-wide deployment of technologies that impact access to care, such as scheduling of appointments, registration for clinical services, and insurance eligibility management; business practices, including billing, claims and contract management; and resource planning, such as purchasing, materials management and payroll.