What finance needs to know about using technology to improve value.

: As the nation witnesses the unfolding of healthcare reform, value as an expression of reduced cost and improved quality will become the watchword for the healthcare industry. New, relatively inexpensive technologies have become more widely available that can help healthcare provider organizations more easily evaluate their performance around quality and safety, thereby contributing to improved value. Senior finance leaders should play a leading role in guiding their organizations toward measuring clinical quality and monitoring performance in monetary terms, which will be increasingly important with the growing focus on value.