Process-Oriented Strategic Information Management Planning

Abstract

As the healthcare provider market migrates from freestanding care centers to integrated delivery networks (IDNs), the strategic, operational, and economic focus of these organizations is radically changing. Organizations are transitioning away from segmented care provision and toward managing care and wellness services across the continuum. Primary care groups are replacing hospitals as the centers of the delivery systems, organizations are becoming flatter and more successful, and IDNs are becoming knowledge-based organizations. In the midst of this change, the importance of the information management infrastructure—that is, the operational strategies, resources, technology, and integration mechanisms needed to support business strategy—cannot be overstated. The ability to rapidly gather, communicate, analyze, and act on enterprise-wide information will be a crucial factor in the successful development and ongoing management of integrated delivery networks.