ArborMetrix Founder John Birkmeyer, MD, to Present on Clinical Analytics at HIMSS 2014

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- John D. Birkmeyer, MD, an internationally recognized performance measurement and hospital quality expert as well as the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ArborMetrix, will present the session "Improving Surgical Outcomes and Lowering Costs with Clinical Analytics" (Education Session 211) at the HIMSS14 Annual Conference & Exhibition. The session will take place Thursday, February 27, 2014 from 10:30 am to 11:30 am ET in room 304A of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

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Dr. Birkmeyer believes that when it comes to clinical analytics, the more data the better. In this session, HIMSS attendees will learn about an innovative, state-wide collaborative improvement effort in Michigan that has removed unwanted variation, cut costs and improved quality across multiple specialties by pooling together claims data on the types of surgical and specialty care that represent two-thirds of the U.S. health care bill annually.

"Until recently, health system leaders haven't had much incentive to worry about variations in cost or quality," Dr. Birkmeyer said. "That has changed in the current environment. Providers are finding that using clinical data to uncover variations and waste is helping them improve patient outcomes while reducing costs. Once the participants in Michigan started to see the benefits, they became much more internally motivated and intellectually stimulated to continue the move toward standardization. It's a great example many health systems can and should follow."

Attendees for this session will gain insight into how to:

• Identify procedures with the best opportunity to measurably improve quality and reduce costs
• Construct clinically relevant, actionable performance measures that will empower surgeons to improve patient outcomes
• Calculate expected outcomes for alternative treatments using patient-specific risk factors

Dr. Birkmeyer is the George D. Zuidema Professor of Surgery and Director of the Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy at the University of Michigan and has a long track record of research funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality. He has served in advisory roles for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the American College of Surgeons- National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, and chairs the expert panel on evidence-based hospital referral for the Leapfrog Group, a large coalition of health care purchasers. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2006.

The session "Improving Surgical Outcomes and Lowering Costs with Clinical Analytics" is open to all HIMSS14 attendees. Click here to register for the conference.

Tweet This:  #HIMSS14 2/27 Clinical analytics improve outcomes, lower costs. Register: http://bit.ly/1bYRs06 | #specialtycare #acutecare @ArborMetrix

About ArborMetrix
ArborMetrix, Inc., located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, provides a unique, cloud-based platform for performance measurement and clinical intelligence in acute and specialty care. Based on its industry changing econometric research, ArborMetrix solutions deliver rigorous data analysis and actionable business intelligence while incorporating advanced risk and reliability adjustments. With valuable insights grounded in clinical evidence, ArborMetrix clients quickly achieve quality improvements and cost savings. For more information, visit www.arbormetrix.com, email [email protected] or call 734-661-7944, ext. 7008.

SOURCE ArborMetrix