Maulik Purohit, MD, chief medical information officer advisor at Fort Washington, Pa.-based Futura Mobility, discusses the increasing importance of the CMIO role and how technology has impacted the responsibilities of the job.
Responses are lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Where do you see the biggest need for innovation to improve the healthcare system in the future?
Dr. Maulik Purohit: Imagination. I think we need to approach healthcare IT, and healthcare in general, the same way we approach IT in general — whether it be Amazon, Google, Apple, etc. Many people in this field have had this mindset that healthcare IT is difficult and will be difficult. I think that is a false presumption and limits the innovation we are capable of doing.
Q: How has your role as CMIO evolved over the past two to three years? How have your responsibilities changed since you took on the role?
MP: The CMIO role, in general, is becoming ever more important. This is recognized by several factors, one of which is the organizational structure. The CMIO role used to report to the CIO. Now, the CMIO is often reporting to a COO, CMO or even the CEO in many cases. The role is also becoming more independent of the CIO/IT responsibilities by having its own staff and budget in many institutions.
The other important factor in the evolution of the CMIO role is the shift in IT products and services. Many products and services come ready to use, and the biggest question for an organization is how to implement these offerings and tie it into clinical operations — which is one of the bread-and-butter responsibilities of a CMIO or [chief health information officer].
Additionally, with more formal training available today, many CMIOs are more prepared and have more extensive backgrounds in data analytics, business operations and other aspects of healthcare IT.
Q: What do you consider your No. 1 priority as CMIO? How do you ensure you're successful?
MP: Engagement and adoption are my No. 1 priorities. Engagement and adoption from end users, engagement and adoption from business operations, engagement and adoption from clinical staff members, et al. The more engaged everyone in the [health] system is, the better the outcomes for everyone. Apathy is the worst situation.
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