HIMSS has launched the HIMSS Value Score, an international quality measurement for the value of health IT.

The Value Score builds off of HIMSS' Value Suite and HIMSS Analytics' Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) and will help healthcare providers optimize and use IT to improve clinical and financial outcomes, and drive efficiencies in care, according to the organization.

The Value Score is the next generation of several HIMSS-developed standards and resources. The HIMSS Analytics' EMRAM has been in use to track and benchmark EMR adoption and utilization since 2009. The HIMSS Health IT Value Suite and Value STEPS, released in 2013, have provided both a framework and vocabulary for providers to articulate their value strategy. 

"With the move towards value-based care, the international healthcare community can now look beyond initial adoption and toward a broader, all-encompassing way to measure the clinical and financial value of health IT," said Stephen Lieber, president and CEO of HIMSS. "The Value Score is a combination of HIMSS' core competencies and is the natural next step in the continual evolution towards better care and outcomes for patients and providers."

HIMSS developed the guidelines for the Value Score and is currently refining the scoring algorithm across provider organizations in the U.S. and abroad, including HIMSS' Davies Award winners and small critical access hospitals. The results for this initial pilot group will include actionable datasets and scores.