IT’s participation in healthcare organizations is extensive and becoming even more significant due to the industry’s growth and expanding use of new technologies. Healthcare IT or HIT mainly deals with the assembly, sharing, and proper usage of patient information through the help of electronic means that would augment the delivery of care, improve productivity, and facilitate intelligent decision-making.
Here are the following 9 points in which we will discuss the role of IT in healthcare industry:
1. The role of IT in healthcare is with regards to overhauling traditional paper-based communications or documentation of medical records through Electronic Health Records (EHRs). EHRs afford the collection of a patient cloud where details of the patient’s medical record such as diagnosis, treatments, and even medical history are held in a central reference that allows the practitioners to retrieve them in real time. This has the potential to help the healthcare system make timely decisions that could determine better health outcomes among patients.
2. Moreover, continuity and high availability are essential for transmitting current data between departments and collaborating with other entities. Health Information Exchange (HIE) is the sharing of patient information contained in various repositories by authorized caregivers. It also means the patient records can be accessed across various platforms and from one organization to another to reduce repetitions in tests and procedures as well as supply consistent care.
3. The elements mentioned as to the incorporation of high-quality information and high technology in the health field also entail the reduction of papers to do among and many avoidable errors. The role of IT in healthcare is very important because telemedicine and other similar solutions represent a way to contact the patient in electronic methods and to ensure he/she has access to the desired healthcare services and engagement level. Furthermore, patient portals facilitate coordinated, direct access to clinicians because patients can be given information about their records, either informing them that updates are available electronically or providing them with electronic access to their records and the ability to schedule appointments with physicians.
4. The jobs can range from Clinical Applications Analysts who assist in translating how a certain process in a healthcare setting would work with the features of an application. They make certain that the system components under the IT domain facilitate clinical operations optimally to increase the effectiveness of care delivery. Similarly, Clinical Informaticists serve the same purpose by drawing insights from clinical data to enhance certain practices that relate to the care of patients, therefore triggering the application of data analytics to healthcare.
5. Network Technicians and Application Analysts are key employees in the provision of healthcare since they ensure the needed IT facilities are well managed. Network Technicians have to maintain the networks for security purposes and work on other technical incidences while Application Analysts design and implement applications that would enhance service delivery to patients as well as operations. Similarly critical to IT healthcare management is the Medical Records Technician position responsible for the completeness and proper dissemination of patient records to other medical practitioners to avoid the patient’s care loopholes.
6. MSPs are also valuable allies for health IT organizations, particularly in the realm of controlling powerful IT platforms and safeguarding all that abundant data. An MSP offers topical packages and services, and the service package can include network management, security services, and discreet regulatory integrations like HIPAA. Skills linked to their positions within the organization refer to the necessity of having proper and secure IT systems to support the goals and objectives of the healthcare organization.
7. Another interesting position that is present in the organizations that have recruited project managers for implementing ICD-10 conversions is that these project managers are accountable for ensuring that all the healthcare providers, should implement the latest set of medical codes. This shift is important to perform billing and analysis that is useful for the apprehensive leading to the patient’s welfare and health care administration.
8. The role of IT in healthcare has a brighter future. It is believed that the following technologies are likely to bring more additions to healthcare information technology; AI & IoMT. While AI automates tasks such as record keeping and administrative work, as well as the ability to utilize machine learning to determine the patient’s priority, the IoMT can monitor the patient’s status at any one time. All of these technologies have the capability of enhancing the application and use of quality and quantity data for patient advantage besides enhancing the effectiveness of patient care services, implementation of patient care services, and organizational performance.
9. COVID-19 has also given sufficient drift to the necessity of IT in the total healthcare sector. Such a demand to deliver care, process information from a distance, and transform the healthcare system into a smart system has contributed to the use of IT in the healthcare domain. While patient care goes on patiently, we have noted the application of telehealth, particularly in the year 2020 characterized by social distancing due to COVID-19 while electronic health records have boosted the sharing of data very vital in managing patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the role of IT in healthcare contributes to administrative work and helps to optimize clinical decision-making. IT solutions improve the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of healthcare processes and the performance of healthcare organizations and their professionals. In this regard, more emphasis will be placed on applying state-of-the-art IT solutions to meet the challenges that arise in the context of developing healthcare. So we can say that role of IT in healthcare is very important.
Also, read: What Is The Role Of IT In The Healthcare Industry?
