The organization and delivery of health care services in the United States today is
heavily influenced by technology. Information Systems (IS) have been designed to cater
to the health care system with a variety of ISs, each performing a function or group of
functions. Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems have emerged as advanced clinical
information systems which identify, collect, and store electronic health information on
patients. These EHR systems allow for the electronic storage of all patient data, which
may be accessed at any time. EHR systems have the capability to increase knowledge
and improve decision support services and can enhance the overall quality, safety,
efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare organizations (www.healthit.gov
). Since the
government passed the HITECH Act back in 2009, health care providers must transfer to
storing patient data records using an electronic medium instead of the traditional paper
records. HITECH paved the way for wide-scale use of EHR and other Clinical Information
Systems technologies. These changes have had significant impacts on the healthcare
delivery system including impacts on cost and care. The impact that EHRs can have on
the quality of care results from factors such as increases in the safety of treatment, more
accurate diagnoses, quicker availability and access of information, and increases in life
expectancy (www.healthit.gov
). An EHR system can contain reminders, prompt
precautionary procedures, or identify specific patients, all which can result in
improvements in the quality of care delivered by health care organizations.
The changes may not always be so positive, as we can see in the impact that EHR
systems can have on costs. The introduction and innovation of new technologies has a
negative impact on the costs of healthcare delivery. As the text suggests, “technology
may be the single most important factor in medical cost inflation.” (www.healthit.gov
). The
cost of developing or acquiring new technologies can be very expensive, and as
organizations move towards purchasing costly technologies, the cost of care is
fundamentally increased as well. The growth of Information Technology (IT) and IS has
led to technology diffusion which has impacted the entire healthcare industry. This rapid
expansion of technology has been the center of focus in the federal government as health
care costs continue to skyrocket. The amount of funding towards research and
development of new technologies has increased over the years and this is driving
competition and costs to rise. Some have turned to the government to offer a solution to
aid in controlling the growth of technology. There are proposals to withdraw federal
funding from research and development programs, or impose more controls and
regulations to the healthcare industry. However, the cultural beliefs and values of
Americans may be a major force in ultimately driving decisions in the market. The beliefs
and values are centered around less government oversight, and a private market driven
by capitalistic ideals. Because Americans desire state-of-the-art-technology and the best
medical care, it is very difficult to sway values and beliefs away from technology diffusion
(www.healthit.gov
).
Technology can have both positive and negative impacts on the healthcare
industry. Advances in IT allow for the effective utilization of patient data, and
improvements in the overall quality, safety and efficiency of health care delivery. The
dependence on technology and competition have encouraged the rapid expansion of IS
technologies within the healthcare industry. Healthcare providers aim to acquire the latest
innovations and technologies, which have driven up the overall costs of healthcare. The
widespread technology diffusion within the healthcare industry has had a negative impact
by driving up costs.
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