Keystone Summit 2015

Interoperability in the crosshairs

Because of mounting pressure coming from many directions, the goal of the 2015 KLAS Keystone Summit was to build and shape an interoperability measurement tool.

Against this backdrop, a highly engaged group of vendor senior executives and knowledgeable, prominent providers—with KLAS acting as convener and in a supportive role—wrestled through many options and came up with a measurement tool that will ultimately benefit the patients. Participants voiced surprise that such an eclectic group of vendor competitors and healthcare providers could accomplish this!

"This is a sentinel issue for healthcare; quality, cost and coordinated patient care hang in the balance." - Provider

How Did It Come Together?

Professional Convener

Leavitt Partners coached KLAS on how to put a conference like this together and offered to continue to guide the process if appropriate.

Amazing Moderator

Micky Tripathi—president and CEO of Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative—volunteered to moderate the summit from a position of deep understanding of the challenge at hand.

Fantastic Four Built the Strawman

What appeared to be impossible came together in a way that all could compromise around and agree on.

The Fantastic Four: John Halamka, MD - Stan Huff, MD - Dan Nigrin, MD - Micky Tripathi

How Did it Go?

What Klas Has To Say About Keystone

Thank you! We are so appreciative of your willingness to come together as deeply involved and impactful parties to improve healthcare. Your participation, in and of itself, speaks volumes about your caring. We feel fortunate to be part of the conversation and consider each of you friends and colleagues in an amazing cause.

WHAT WENT WELL

• “Interacting on this specific topic with vendors, helping our vendors understand that this topic is important to providers…thank you for sponsoring the conference!” - Provider
• “Chance to help on an issue of significance. Fun to interact with smart people.” - Vendor

WHAT WE CAN IMPROVE

• “Clarity on what we were here to do and how it would be accomplished further ahead of time would be helpful.” - Provider
• “There were a lot of opportunities to shorten and get to the point faster.” - Vendor

What Were Our Specific Outcomes?

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

Relatively small in number, participants in the Keystone Summit rolled up their sleeves, put aside differences, and worked collaboratively to create a way to self-evaluate and examine efforts and progress toward deeper interoperability. The result of these efforts?

PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AND EXPECTING GREAT THINGS...

"Executives of 12 major electronic health record vendors met earlier this month and have agreed to interoperability metrics that participants are calling Consumer Reports-like in their design and the first of their kind for the healthcare industry…the vendors adopted a standard interoperability measurement tool." – Health Data Management"The next step is to put a cohesive plan in place to launch and monitor the measurement. This plan will include continued involvement from those participating in the summit as they lock arms to make a difference." – HIT Consultant

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

So what comes next?

KLAS will measure the status of interoperability with the newly designed tool. Key early steps include:

• Test and enhance measurement tool
• Establish a structure for ongoing discussion and action (provider/ vendor consortium)
• Explore third party to facilitate ongoing efforts
• Administer measurement tool; report findings
• Provide progress reports along the way – potential meeting at HIMSS in February; potential follow up summit in July/August

POST-SUMMIT ACTIVITIES

• Keystone Summit press release
• Many media interviews and publications
• Discussions with ONC and with involved Senate staffers
• CHIME announcement
• HIE study kick-off