When it comes to tackling complex projects like ICD-10 preparation and planning, outsourcing all or some of the tasks may give some much needed help to already stretched-to-the-limit hospital staffs. As with most hospitals, preparing for ICD-10 isn’t the only project on Fairfield Medical Center’s (FMC) plate. For the 222-bed hospital, located in Lancaster, Ohio, outsourcing made sense.

While Meaningful Use, Accountable Care Organizations and ICD-10 are taking up a significant portion of hospital leaders’ attention these days, there’s another strategic initiative that should be added to the list, says a veteran industry watcher. And, she adds, expect to see some major market shifts as vendors, both big and small, jump on board to take advantage of the potential opportunities.

Capturing the vast amounts of data available in biomedical devices for inclusion in an electronic medical record has been described as the Holy Grail of connectivity, and one hospital system’s quest is nearly complete as it readies itself for the first of its two go-lives later this month.

Health information systems are being implemented fast and furiously, driven by the prospect of Meaningful Use incentives. However, a growing concern among industry watchers is that when the HITECH dust settles, the outcome may be less than ideal.