Health Information Technology Trends
The evolution of health information technology has been a fascinating story. The technology supports the management of health information across computerized systems, including the exchange of health information securely. While health information technology is the future of healthcare, it can also be the cause of a number of ethical challenges. This article discusses some of the ethical challenges related to health information technology. You’ll also learn about the latest trends in health information technology, including patient portals and electronic health records.
Electronic health records
The federal government is promoting the use of EHRs by doctors. The government offers substantial financial incentives to doctors who adopt an EHR system. These incentives are offered to physicians who use the EHR system to improve their patient care, reduce medical errors, report quality data, and share patient data among providers. Incentives are offered to doctors who adopt the EHR system, which are becoming more common. Read on for more information about incentives offered by the federal government for EHR adoption.
Patient portals
A recent study examined the impact of patient portals on quality outcomes and meaningful use in hospitals. Results indicated that portals increase patient satisfaction, retention and communication, while decreasing missed appointments and office visits. However, the results varied widely with respect to improved outcomes. For these reasons, a benchmarking study is needed to determine if patient portals are worth the expense and effort. Fortunately, there are several reasons why patient portals are worthwhile.
Real-time actionable insights from HIT
Whether your healthcare organization is in need of real-time actionable insights or simply better patient outcomes, the use of health information technology (HIT) can help. By improving communication between hospitals and providers, HIT can improve coordination, scheduling, and administrative bureaucracy. While HIT may solve many problems, it can also create new ones. For example, when healthcare organizations used paper charts, data security was less of a concern because the amount of data anyone could steal was limited by their physical carrying capacity. Today, corporate data breaches are common. The Flint water crisis in the United States is a great example.
Collaboration between public and private sectors
Developing collaboration between public and private sectors in health information technology can have several benefits. For one, it can make policy-making processes more efficient. It can also help develop shared goals and mutual understanding among the different parties involved. Moreover, such collaboration can help identify areas where the two sectors can cooperate. Ultimately, it can help to improve the quality of health care globally. Collaboration between public and private sectors can improve care quality, save lives, and reduce healthcare costs.
