Since this blog started, in 2009, we have devoted a lot of
words to the idea of improving healthcare with information technology. These
days, the role of IT in health facilities is commonly understood. When we first
wrote about the idea of a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ hospital, it was still a controversial topic. Todd Boucher is an expert in IT and Data Centers, and he
took some time to put together a lengthy blog on Health IT, and the future of
both industries. Today, we’ll be looking at a few of his points, and providing
some commentary on how Health Care and IT have grown up together.
Strategies for supporting “Bring Your Own Device” vary, but the necessity to support these mobile technologies is expanding rapidly. Practitioners are already using use their mobile devices for video conferencing, clinical tools, and accessing online patient data, and the technologies available to increase functionality of mobile devices in hospitals is expanding exponentially.
Doctors and surgeons of today have a nigh-infinite library
of information at their fingertips, in the form of iPads, smartphones, and even
laptops. All of these devices have found a new home in the operating room, the
office, and more. Of course, the danger of a data breach is ever-present, but
the safety of these devices can only improve as they continue to find more
widespread use.
The use of these technologies represents a major change in data center requirements, and healthcare organizations need to evaluate the ability of their existing data centers to deliver the associated availability. Too often, the technology is procured and the implementation planned prior to answering the questions about whether the data center can provide the physical infrastructure (power, cooling, floor space, etc) necessary to support the technology.
Second only to perhaps the military, medical technology is
often the most innovative in the United States. Many organizations and
companies exist to develop new, improved, and more efficient pieces of medical
hardware. The downside to this is that hospitals and private practices are
often expected to upgrade pieces of a system that might lack the infrastructure
required to keep things running smoothly. It is all too easy to step outside of
the capable range of any given facility, and rapidly-improving tech is not
helping things.
If you work in a health facility or hospital, we would love
to hear your opinions on IT in the workplace. Leave a comment below, and we
might respond to some of the most insightful in a future blog!
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Pam Argeris is a thought leader in the Healthcare Industry and possesses extensive, hands-on experience with CMS compliance, and multiple regulatory bodies such as NCQA, JACHO, and DOI. In her role at Merrill Corp.,
Pam focuses on developing solutions for
compliance and quality assurance, delivered in a
cost effective manner to improve beneficiary
and prospect communications. You can contact Pam at Pamela.Argeris@merrillcorp.com.
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