U.s disc 9
BYSTANDER
peerdiscussion.docx3
Diamond.
This week I will be discussing health technology and its future impact on the healthcare industry and the roles within. As we know, the healthcare industry and its systems have had many technological advances over the years. Technologies such as Health Information Technologies (HIT) are utilized today to aide in obtaining clinical outcomes and organizational progress improvement. The utilization of HIT has become an important trend in healthcare technology. According to (Gerald et alt., 2020,) there are many different types of Health Information Technologies (HIT) within the healthcare system and many that are still evolving. Some types of Health information technology systems include but are not limited to systems categorized within electronic health record (EHRs), the enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, the patient engagement: patient portal (ePHR), remote patient monitoring (RPM), etc. The EHR gives providers the ability to document patient information from any healthcare delivery setting as well as providing providers with the ability to communicate/ collaborate with other organizations about patient medical plans and history. ERPs are compact applications that integrate operational information from financial, project management, materials management, and other function-based areas into a vast database to aid businesses in meeting their overall objectives and goals. As time continues to evolve so does the healthcare industry and the systems being implemented. When looking at the patient engagement: patient portal also known as the electronic personal health record (ePHR), it is known to be a secure online platform that gives patients 24-hour access to their personal health information from anywhere with internet connection. According to (Selecthub.com. 2022,) remote patient monitoring (RPM) has medical sensors that can send patient data from their home or wherever they are located to their healthcare providers at their facility.
There are factors that have been both driving and limiting the growth of health care technologies. Some factors that can be identified as limiting the growth can be related to financial, technical (interoperability), and administrative (data ownership/legal) areas. According to (Healthit.gov, 2018.) A financial factor that that has impacted the adoption of health information technologies is the fact that payers and employer groups health plans who purchase healthcare have little information on health outcomes. According to (Healthit.gov. 2018,) most times healthcare providers and payers will negotiate contracts strictly based on the healthcare providers reputation and not the overall quality of care offered to patients. If there were more competition between providers based on quality and value of care provided verses reputation, payers might be able to gain better insight on the service they are going to be purchasing. A technical (interoperability) factor would be that due to healthcare providers and payers only having interoperable access and exchange of health records, they are only able to access one record at a time. This is very limiting for payers especially because they are unable to effectively advocate for their consumers if they lack clear visibility into which healthcare providers offer the best quality care at the lowest cost. According to (Healthit.gov. 2018,) payers also often lack access to clinical data on groups of covered people as well which limits them from assessing the value and quality of services provided for consumers. How are payers supposed to gather the necessary data to appropriately assess how much a service is valued? For example, there is absolutely no reason that different members of a family should be paying different prices for the same surgery that they are going to get if they all have the same insurance. Some administrative (data ownership/legal) factors that have impacted the adoption have been the fact that many certified IT products lack what they need to inform the organization how health information can be securely accessed and easily shared with employees on the care team (Healthit.gov, 2018.) This has caused a lot of reluctance to follow through with the adoption of these health information exchange technologies. Another factor is the lack of expectations for data sharing and burdensome experiences for healthcare providers limit the return on investment for healthcare providers. Many providers have trouble making the change because they are so used to do things the way they have been. Some factors that have been driving the growth of Healthcare Technologies are acts such as the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the HITECH. Both acts aim to assist healthcare organizations improve their healthcare quality through the implementation of Health Information Technology. There are also financial incentives/ approaches put in place through the federal government as well as agencies such as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). According to (The Federal Government Has Put Billions into Promoting Electronic Health Record Use: How Is It Going? 2022,) the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act set aside $27 billion in 2009 for an incentive program that aimed to encourage hospitals and providers to utilize electronic health record systems (EHR). These agencies, organizations, incentives, and approaches can really help with the implantation of HIT for providers.
Based on the identified factors and trends identified above, health technology will most definitely change the role of health care managers by 2030 simply since the industry is everchanging. Managers will most likely be required to have more tech skills to be able to effectively monitor/ manage the HIT systems utilized in their organizations as well as appropriately training any new staff hired. Managers will most likely be required to collaborate more with stakeholders, project managers, etc to make sure money is being allocated to specific HIT systems as well as making sure to address financial, technical (interoperability), and administrative (data ownership/legal) factors. Management will need to be much more focused on making sure their organizations are utilizing triple-aim and focusing on the quality of care provided. Management will also be required to stay up to date with the everchanging healthcare policies in relation to the integration of HIT. Policies such as the Security Rule Provisions which aims to strengthen the privacy and security protection for people’s health information that is maintained in an EHR and any other HIT under the HIPAA 1996 Act (Govinfo.gov, 2013.) I imagine the utilization of HIT will continue to grow as technological advancements keep evolving.
-Diamond
References:
Gerald L. Glandon, Donna J. Slovensky, & Detlev H. Smaltz. (2020). Information Technology for Healthcare Managers, Ninth Edition. AUPHA/HAP Book.
Information Technology for Healthcare Managers, Ninth Edition (umgc.edu)
Selecthub.com. (2022). Health Information Technology | Types of Healthcare Software 2022.
Healthit.gov. (2018) The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology: 2018 Report to Congress
https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/page/2018-12/2018-HITECH-report-to-congress.pdf
The Federal Government Has Put Billions into Promoting Electronic Health Record Use: How Is It Going?. (2022).
Govinfo.gov. (2013). Federal Register. [online]
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2013-01-25/pdf/2013-01073.pdf
LUIS
What are the most important trends in health care technology?
Healthcare is also on a digitization journey and aims to develop innovations that will simplify the lives of patients, clinicians, and staff. There are five main key trends as outlined by the ICA. It was a press release made to stakeholders to shape the development of the health information exchange among organizations—one of the trends in the growing need for the connectivity that healthcare providers need. In addition, there is an increasing focus on managing chronic diseases (Tan, 2019) correctly. The third trend is the patients' expectations for involvement in the care process and growth. The other trend in healthcare is the marking pressures for improving alignment for the hospital physicians. The last trend is the advancement of technology that can increase interoperability.
What factors are driving and limiting the further growth of health care technologies?
The driving role of health information technology in delivering care for older individuals is a complex and dynamic area of research. The challenges include both technological and human factors. There are issues with resources, and some people are still in denial about adapting to the new changes happening. Factors driving health care technologies forward include population aging, increasing life expectancy, and improved understanding of aging disease processes (Shortliffee et al., 2014). The current political context hinders the growth of technology, especially in the economic gain aimed at boosting the quality of life. Policies need to be set straight to ensure everyone grows to their best version and promote the ability to have the best in life.
Based on the above trends and factors, (5) health technology will likely change the role of health care managers by 2030.
Clinicians and organizations can leverage predictive analytics to identify potential issues before they become a problem. Technology can help reduce costs, enhance safety, and improve system efficiencies. Predictive analytics can help clinicians discover how to utilize their resources best to increase productivity. Also, wearable devices and telehealth technologies will enable patients to be more independent, monitor their health status, share information with clinicians, and reduce healthcare costs. Wearable technology will also help patients manage chronic diseases.
Hospitals and health systems can improve the quality of care and enhance safety by using predictive analytics to identify issues early in their development. With the help of big data, clinicians can receive information at an earlier stage that will help them intervene to prevent or manage potential outcomes (Heathfield et al., 1998). Healthcare managers will actively use technology to do their jobs better with compensation tied to technology use. Healthcare managers will be more involved with the clinical side of healthcare, noted for their expertise in data analysis to improve care.
Technology is deeply integrated with daily tasks and will carry over into compensation strategies. Healthcare managers who are closely involved with the use of technology will be rewarded accordingly, and those who fail to embrace new ways of working in the industry may no longer have roles as leaders.
Which laws are in place to integrate information technology into healthcare?
Several laws are in place to help healthcare providers use information technology. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that all patient data be stored securely and confidentially. The HITECH Act incentivizes providers to adopt electronic health records (EHRs). “Affordable Care Act” sections say how health information technology can be used to improve care and lower costs (Tedmed, 2013). The "Department of Health and Human Services" will create a national plan to help health information work together. The original legislation required that federal agencies issue standards and regulations for exchanging information electronically; however, this law has proven ineffective because it only applies to federal agencies and not all health care providers.
References
Heathfield, H., Pitty, D., & Hanka, R. (1998). Evaluating information technology in health care: barriers and challenges. BMJ, 316(7149), 1959. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25179662
Shortliffe, E. H., Shortliffe, E. H., Cimino, J. J., & Cimino, J. J. (2014). Biomedical informatics: computer applications in health care and biomedicine. Springer.
Tan, J. (2019). Adaptive Health Management Information Systems: Concepts, Cases, and Practical Applications: Concepts, Cases, and Practical Applications. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Tedmed. (2013). How do we look at the future of health with both eyes? Youtube.com. Retrieved 7 July 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcbtRfzlWwM .
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