Leverage IT initiatives to enhance healthcare objectives

Along with the rise in demand for apps and wearables, there has also been a rise in demand for personalized care and precision medicine. By collecting patient data and implementing IT initiatives in healthcare industry, providers are now focusing on supporting research and facilitating a more holistic service to patients.

Patients and healthcare providers are increasingly using mobile technology for researching information online, sharing experiences, and identifying treatment options. Thus, healthcare commissioners and providers are required to acknowledge that current and emerging technologies are offering opportunities to transform the way people engage with their own health. Even surveys have suggested that patients are more likely to be engaged in their health if they have easy access to information. Healthcare providers should focus on developing patient engagement strategies. These strategies should aim at engaging individuals in their own healthcare to educate, motivate, empower, and support their interactions with healthcare providers. By implementing IT initiatives in healthcare, providers can connect themselves to their patients, leading to better health outcomes and more convenient and personalized services.

Following are some of initiatives that healthcare providers can implement:

IT initiatives in healthcare: Online Patient Portals

Healthcare providers can develop their own online patient portals that give patients access to their health information, directly or via apps. This helps in improving communication between patients and providers. One of the most significant advantages of patient portals is that they can drastically reduce the number of times patients forget to attend appointments. Patient portals can also be used as a more effective means of completing a number of daily administrative tasks that typically require several staff members. As online portals provide easy and more frequent contact, patients are likely to feel satisfied with their physician and overall care, leading to better outcomes in the long run.

IT initiatives in healthcare: Middleware

Middleware is the name given to the technology that has the ability to enable data, produced by personal communication devices such as smart phones, to be incorporated effectively into the healthcare system. This technology was developed in response to the challenge of managing huge volumes of data that was being generated by alarms and alerts. Middleware facilitates communication and data management by allowing applications to communicate with each other effectively. It can perform remote surveillance and data aggregation along with automating clinical documentation.

IT initiatives in healthcare: Digital Imaging

Portable digital imaging equipment is changing healthcare delivery. From the ambulance to the operating room, it is making advanced imaging available to patients in remote areas. For example, previously usage of ultrasound was limited by its size, cost, and the need for electricity. Now, smaller and affordable ultrasound machines are available which can even fit into the palm. These relatively smaller devices can deliver high-resolution imaging, often on battery power alone. Thus, the use of digital imaging is delivering state-of-the-art mobile enabled imaging to health clinics in remote rural areas.

Thus, implementing new and emerging IT technologies and creating a connected ecosystem can enhance healthcare objectives.