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While it may make sense for healthcare organizations to accede to cybercriminals' demands in the interest of patient safety and business continuity, one expert at HIMSS21 said it's time to "disrupt the economic balance here."

Health systems across the board are increasingly embracing digital transformation initiatives as the impact of the pandemic subsides.

Vecna Technologies unveils HealthPass Mobile App for appointment preregistration and check-in. ALLM debuts new integration for automatic EKG data transmission from an ambulance to a hospital chat room.

In a HIMSS21 Digital session, Thomas Kurian highlighted three big ways IT transformation is powering more effective care delivery.

BUDDI AI delivers artificial intelligence in an RCM suite. Tegria and Cedar partner for RCM and consumer-facing financial engagement. And RevSpring automates patient intake.

Panelists joined HIMSS CEO Hal Wolf during the HIMSS21 opening keynote to emphasize the importance of breaking down healthcare silos and using technology with intention.

COVID-19 made it obvious which projects had to continue, even with reduced resources, leaders from Advocate Aurora and Northwell explained in a HIMSS21 Digital session.

The pandemic has exemplified the crucial role information technology plays in healthcare, said execs at the HIMSS21 CIO Summit on Monday.

Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Royal Marsden NHS FT have signed an agreement to share a single electronic patient record system (EPR). New analysts will implement the system at The Royal Marsden with both teams. The Royal Marsden will start the project this August, with a planned launch date of March 2023. WHY IT MATTERS The move will enable both teams to benefit from cross-over and shared learning. It will also provide an opportunity for GOSH to expand the planning and development of Epic, the patient record system used by the trust since its introduction in 2017. The partnership will allow Royal Marsden to share the Epic system. Epic has proved to be particularly beneficial during the pandemic in delivering care to children and young people remotely.  The partnership will also give Royal Marsden the opportunity to harness the digital technologies and learning that GOSH have achieved through their clinically-led implementation of DHR in 2019, opening up both trusts to research opportunities and collaborations. For GOSH, working in partnership on all future developments to the system means they will be able to work at a faster rate and reduced cost, enabling the trust to invest back into patients and the hospital. By sharing skills and expertise across organisations, both trusts will aim to maximise the benefits of the DHR for staff and patients. "Overall, the new system will help us access our digital records more easily, work more efficiently, and prescribe more safely – to the benefit of both staff and patients across the trust.” - Lisa Emery, chief information officer at The Royal Marsden NHS FT   THE LARGER CONTEXT In September 2020, GOSH became the first hospital in the country to achieve HIMSS Stage 7 validation, which measures a hospital’s digital maturity. ON THE RECORD Chief information officer at The Royal Marsden NHS FT, Lisa Emery, told Healthcare IT News: “From quicker access to patient records to improved availability of documentation and a patient portal, the new system we plan to develop in partnership with GOSH will significantly improve patient outcomes, safety and experience. "It will also give us more access to accurate real-time health information at our fingertips, which will enhance our existing life-saving research capabilities. Overall, the new system will help us access our digital records more easily, work more efficiently, and prescribe more safely – to the benefit of both staff and patients across the trust.” Matt Shaw, CEO of GOSH, said: “No one at GOSH can imagine life without Epic now and it’s transformed our hospital for the better in the couple of years it’s been in place. We’re really looking forward to working even more closely with another innovative organisation like the Royal Marsden in a way that will benefit even more patients.”

The vaccination tool was developed through a collaboration between Geelong-based Barwon Health and IT company Circle T.