Advice for Aspiring CMIOs

Recently, my colleague Steve Peters, chief medical information officer, Mayo Clinic, and I discussed our life experiences as CMIOs.  We talked about how the role has evolved along with changing technology and the transition to nearly universal adoption of electronic health records by large health centers.

 I asked Steve to share his insights on 'what makes a great CMIO in 2020' and captured his thoughts for you.

"I have thought about the 'post-EHR' CMIO as most large centers and hospitals have moved on from the initial implementation.    Here are a few thoughts:

1.       Serves as the primary physician champion for all major clinical information technology projects, including EHR implementation and information security.

2.       Assists in development of IT strategy and planning.

3.       Acts as an advocate for protection of patient privacy and the security of protected health information.

4.       Supports various regulatory compliance activities including HIPAA, Meaningful Use, and billing compliance.

5.       Represents the medical community and serves as an advocate in the promoting the use of information technology in the clinical setting.

6.       Partners with leaders in the effective adoption of information technology solutions in support of clinical care, research and education.

7.       Serves as a physician champion in the development of the electronic medical record and practice management tools.

8.       Maintains an awareness of existing and emerging technology, regulatory, and market factors that have an impact on healthcare information management.

9.       Accountable for the identification, development and execution of education, training programs, and services in the area of computer skills and competencies in the use of electronic tools for patient care, quality, resource management, and performance improvement.

10.  Going back to the 'grandfather' informatics board preparation, I found some broad texts like Biomedical Informatics (Shortliffe and Cimino) very valuable, especially for those areas in which I have less experience or expertise.   The major meetings including HIMSS (from the industry standpoint) and AMIA (more academic) are valuable.    Many areas have regional CMIO meetings to share ideas.   And read blogs."