PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

The 2024 Penn Medicine Information Services Benefits Realization report reviews forty-eight (48) high-profile, high-quality projects implemented in fiscal years 2022 and 2023. The Penn Medicine Information Services (IS) team collaborated with operational and clinical partners to generate substantial financial and qualitative benefits featured in this year’s report. The projects are grouped into five categories that define key strategic goals of Penn Medicine: Empowering Technologies, Digitally Enabled Healthcare, Making Data Meaningful, Making the Connection, and Research. In this edition, there is also a Transformational Technologies section which highlights emerging trends from across the healthcare sector, providing valuable context for how Penn Medicine is positioning itself in response to these changes.

The mission of Information Services is to transform data into value to support our caregivers, business administrators, and patients. During fiscal years 2022 and 2023, IS initiated thousands of projects in support of this mission. As projects are completed, Penn Medicine has realized substantial value from the investments of time, resources, and empowering technology in terms of:

• Quality patient care and safety.

• Patient, family, staff, and physician satisfaction with the care and services provided.

• Education and research support.

Furthermore, direct patient care value was realized from IS support, as many of these projects feature measured and evaluated financial and qualitative returns derived from these investments.

Over the past 13 years, Penn Medicine has undergone a significant transformation in its use of technology, steadily advancing its capabilities to improve healthcare delivery. Information Services’ journey has moved through distinct phases, each building on the last, as technology became increasingly essential to the organization’s ability to provide innovative, data-driven care.

In the first stage, the focus was on establishing a strong foundation by implementing common electronic health records and standardizing processes across the system. This set the stage for the next phase, where meaningful use of data began to play a more central role. Tools such as dashboards and early warning systems allowed clinicians to make better decisions in real time, and the integration of research and clinical data became more seamless. As advancements continued, Penn Medicine moved into precision medicine, where genomic and phenotype data were integrated to deliver more personalized treatments. Mobility capabilities also expanded, ensuring that data was accessible anytime, anywhere. Currently, the focus has evolved to artificial intelligence and innovation, where vast amounts of data are being used to create predictive models and drive new approaches to care.

Looking ahead, Information Services remains at the forefront in contributing to healthcare transformation at Penn Medicine. As the institution moves into the era of AI-driven care, technology is no longer just a tool but a backbone to providing healthcare. In this rapidly changing landscape, technology is the business driver that allows the organization to continuously evolve with new capabilities and brings increased efficiencies and economies of scale. The advancement of Information Services over the years, and the subsequent stories included in this report, demonstrate how technology is now indispensable, powering the future of healthcare innovation.

Penn Medicine’s core mission of world class patient care, education, and research is the primary focus of the Information Services team. This mission has never been more critical than over these past two years, as healthcare is being redefined after the impact of the global pandemic along with the emergence of key factors driving industry growth such as the rising demand in remote patient monitoring, advancement of healthcare IT infrastructure, and continued investments in eHealth and digital health.

This report highlights key projects from fiscal years 2022 and 2023 that have driven significant operational savings, future cost avoidance, additional revenue, and qualitative improvements. Reflecting on the incredible progress made by Penn Medicine’s IS team over the past two years, we are inspired to continue to build upon these accomplishments.

The successes detailed in this report reinforces the teamwork, dedication, and commitment that defines the Penn Medicine culture. We are proud to showcase a selection of projects that have advanced operational, financial, and clinical outcomes to new heights. In collaboration with leadership, the IS team has made significant strides in core operations, supported growth strategies, addressed evolving consumer needs, and expanded our research capabilities through the development of innovative solutions.

We have fully embraced a new era of technological innovation, supporting new research initiatives in cancer interception and immune health, while leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver faster and deeper insights for improving operational efficiency, clinical outcomes, and research. Our teams have embraced these advances and gained global recognition while always prioritizing the patient and those who care for them.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our colleagues, whose remarkable efforts have laid the foundation for Penn Medicine to thrive in this evolving healthcare industry.