IT and Healthcare

In today’s society Information system is so much integrated with most of the health care services. In following discussions, we will go through role of IT in health care sector and integration improved quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare. Some of the questions which, comes to our mind is how can we link IT and healthcare. How is it improving the quality of care to patients? How is IT improving flow of information among the providers?

By definition we know that, IT allows health care providers to collect, store, retrieve and transfer information electronically. IT plays a major role in following eight categories:
Electronic health record (EHR), computerized provider order entry (CPOE), clinical decision support system (CDSS), Picture archiving and communication system (PACS), Bar coding, Radio frequency identification (RFID), Automated dispensing machines (ADMs), Electronic materials management (EMM) and Interoperability (MedPac, 2004).
IT also plays an important role in administrative and financial systems of Healthcare industry.

Computerized provider entry system, improved quality and safety by reducing medications errors, including adverse drug events, decreasing dosage errors, prescribing medicine with more accuracy. CDSS provides physicians with real-time diagnostic and treatment recommendations. PACS technology captures and integrates diagnostic and radiological images from various devices like x-ray, MRI, computed tomography scan and stores them medical record of patients. One of the vastly used technology is radio frequency identification, which tracks patients in the hospital and links lab and medication tracking through a wireless communication system sometimes it is used as alternative to bar coding. Electronic materials Management technology track and manage inventory of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals etc. Interoperability is electronic communication among organizations, so that the data in one IT system can be incorporated into another. Information Technology helping physicians, nurses, patients and their families with right information to make the right decisions (New approaches in Medicare, 2004).

Currently Pharmacies are number one user of IT, and then comes physicians, nursing homes and home users. IT enabled the patients to monitor their own vital signs from their home and communicate results to the physicians before condition become acute.

One of the simplest and most useful current IT influence in health care is Didget; glucometer for kids by Bayer and Nintendo. Didget is the first glucometer which plugs directly into a game console. Once the glucometer has taken reading, the user syncs it with a Nintendo DS Lite system. Kids earn points for regular daily testing, with additional rewards for being punctual. After earning points children can unlock new levels and buy in-game items. This is one of my favorite examples of how one can use Information technology for betterment in Healthcare. As of today, 24 million Americans suffer from diabetes, of which 1 per cent are younger than 20. The American Diabetes Association expects the number to double up in next 25 years. This is where the information Technology comes to betterment of society. http://www.bayerdidget.co.uk/About-Didget/Product-Information
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_16/b4174062706997.htm