Research

The growing importance of informatics in the healthcare realm is driving considerable work on the development of the structures, financing relationships, and roles that will ensure success. One health system that places a great deal of emphasis on IT innovation is a major Chicagoland health system and school of medicine teaching affiliate. The Academy spoke with the vice president and chair of informatics at the health system on the structure and performance metrics used for its informatics initiatives.

At the organization, research and innovation are both prioritized in decision-making processes due to the need to meet the organization’s strategic goals and also comply with the research goals of an academic environment. From an operational standpoint, shared resources are in high demand and must be used effectively. This is accomplished at the health system with the support of a center for biomedical research informatics, of which the aforementioned vice president is the head.

“This arrangement makes what we do possible, which is to support the individuals on the research budget in the various teams in health IT,” the vice president explains. “They report to managers in HIT, so they are following all of the production exchange practices, yet their work is directed by the ne