Since it is a fact that information technology can greatly enhance the efficiency and profitability of every enterprise, every industry has embraced it with open hands. Our world has become a technology-driven one. Information technology has seeped into the healthcare field too because it can be profitably imbibed into the healthcare field, especially the administrative and clinical part. Thus, the quality of service provided by our hospitals has gone up with the emergence of healthcare IT technology.

Health care and technology

Electronic recording keeping

Healthcare IT technology can be positively implemented in nine specialized areas of hospital management. The first of these is the electronic health record keeping. Here, an electronic cabinet is created for every patient and all information, including images, healthcare records and notes are stored safely. This would greatly assist in providing quality service to patients since easy tracking of patients and retrieval of patient data are possible.

Order and fulfillment system

The medication ordering and fulfillment systems, which includes lab order, discharge, referral, transfer, radiology studies, etc. has undergone vast development in the advent of computerized provider order entries. Furthermore, these changes are evident in clinical aid decision system which gives real-time recommendations about diagnosis and medication to doctors. The effects of technology are there when giving simple alarms, concerns related directly to prescription and drug interphase, full medical pathways and protocols.

Picture archiving system

Another important field where IT has forcefully entered is the picture archiving and communication system where images from various devices like X-ray are captured, integrated, stored and distributed to users by the requirement. Radio frequency identification is another area where healthcare IT technology has its influence. It helps in keeping track of the patient during the whole time he or she is admitted to the hospital with the assistance of a wireless communication system. Wireless communication is relatively fast and readily available for installation.

Automated dispensing machines

Automated dispensing machines, electronic material management, interoperability between different organizations or hospitals, bar coding of healthcare environment are the remaining fields where IT can aid immensely. In short, incorporating the ever-improving healthcare IT technology in the day-to-day functioning of a hospital can greatly improve the efficiency of the healthcare staff as well as the supporting staff, enhance the comforts of the patient, make clinical operations easier and faster and thus improve the overall ambience of a hospital. After all, healthcare means putting the patients to ease and curing them, this increases survival rates.