The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives hosted the first meeting of its opioid task force, which took place Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 in Washington, D.C.
Ed Kopetsky, CIO of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, and Jim Turnbull, CIO of Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Health, led the meeting, which comprised more than two dozen health IT leaders discussing how CHIME can address the opioid epidemic.
During the meeting, participants discussed how CIOs can leverage their background in data analytics to identify best practices to prevent, identify and treat opioid misuse.
"We need to empower and assist the healthcare community and help them see that there are pathways to success, whether that is eliminating overprescribing of opioids, finding interventions in clinical care or following best treatment practices," Mr. Turnbull said. "CHIME members have the data and skills to illuminate what has worked and what hasn't."
The CHIME Opioid Task Force will also look to partner with medical staff, researchers, caregivers and government agencies to guide public policy, and will aim to increase awareness and destigmatize the opioid crisis.