The four things I see coming down the road for healthcare information technology:

First, the cost of technology is going down. With the cost going down, it enables the second aspect – pervasiveness of medical devices and technology. We’re going to see HIT more and more in different places at different times. The third major aspect is in the tools and methods from other industries. We’re going to see the kinds of innovations that exist in banking, or travel, or manufacturing being used in healthcare. And finally, there’s an issue that we need to address as a society. That’s the idea of data ethics: “Who gets my information, how do they get to use it, and what do I reserve that only I can access?” Continue Reading

How Governments Are Impacted by Healthcare Information Technology (HIT)

Governments are the largest purchasers of healthcare services in the United States and many parts of the world.

Nearly 50% of all healthcare in the U.S. has been bought by the government, either for their employees, or through public programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Because of that, governments are greatly interested in the costs of healthcare, in the quality of healthcare and in the access to healthcare. So we’re going to see more regulatory pressures on healthcare providers, insurers, and even patients, to lower the cost of care and improve its outcome. Technology will help to enable these organization to meet all of the goals. Continue Reading