Emerging Technologies in Healthcare - Research Paper Example

Emerging Technologies in Healthcare of the of the Emerging Technologies in Healthcare The healthcare industry is characterized with evolutionary transformations. The challenges faced by the healthcare industry, in the 21st century, are overwhelming. In today’s multifaceted healthcare environment, providing adequate care is a challenge for clinical professionals and executives. The healthcare providers are going through fundamental changes in the way they conduct business. The changes taking place in the healthcare environment are increasing at an unprecedented rate. The new demands from the government and patients are causing a major transformation in the healthcare industry. Healthcare advancements have been occurring at a rapid pace. The advancements in technology have impacted all aspects and areas of healthcare. The advancements are not only limited to drugs and devices but also include new surgical methods and the application of advanced technology. The increasing cost and the increase in demand for better coordination in healthcare has placed additional burden on consumers and providers. The increase in healthcare cost is associated with various issues including the diffusion of advanced technology, excessive administration cost, and market power of healthcare providers. The new healthcare technology is at the forefront of advanced healthcare system. The present healthcare environment contains several challenges that demand an unprecedented level of change (Bernstein, Tamuchin and Murray, 2007). Healthcare is an information-intensive process. The pressures from management are increasing and the healthcare environment is getting complex with the passage of time. It is important for healthcare organizations to keep up the advanced technology and continual progress in the healthcare system. Healthcare experts have highlighted the importance of the development and diffusion of medical technology as primary factors. The advancements in technology will continue to bring developments into the healthcare system. The breakthrough in the biomedical science and discoveries hold great importance for drug therapy for individuals. On the other hand, the advanced technologies are breaking traditional barriers between drugs, devices, and tissues. The biomedical sciences have introduced new kinds of treatments for patients. The advanced healthcare system requires new investments. The huge increase in the investment in biomedical investment and has turned into more valuable medical products. On the research and development side, it is possible that the cost and uncertainty of products and treatments have been increasing. The healthcare expenditures have continued to increase rapidly around the world. In the United States, healthcare costs have been increasing. It is estimated that healthcare expenditures has been increasing and is projected to increase. The new technology has both a positive and negative impact on healthcare systems. The advanced technology has greatly facilitated healthcare system. However, at the same time, the cost of healthcare technology has also been increased with the passage of time. The better systems and practices have resulted in quicker recoveries of patients. It has also resulted in the reduction of medical errors. The advancements have reduced the cost per patient. From the research, it is not possible to directly measure the impact of new medical technology. The innovation in healthcare takes place on a continual basis. The size of healthcare and its diversity has impacted various procedures and products. Technological Advancements in Healthcare The healthcare industry is required to utilize advanced technology in order to automate various procedures for the purpose of better competence. The healthcare organizations, which provide advanced care, are rewarded with increased productivity. Organizations that fail to act on the requirements of the environment such as speed, cost, and quality, face catastrophic consequences. With the passage of time, healthcare organizations are relying on the use of web based technology in order to offer personalized are to the customers (Yee, Erin, and Caroline, 2008). Informatics The documentation of records is a significant challenge in the healthcare industry. The conventional method of documentation is getting obsolete and inadequate. Nowadays, the emerging trend in healthcare is healthcare informatics. Healthcare informatics can be defined as the integration of health science, computer science, and other fields to assist in the healthcare management system. The goal of healthcare informatics is to optimize information and communication by using advanced technology in order to improve the health of individuals, families, and communities. The role of healthcare informatics is crucial to ensure various evolving issues. The healthcare informatics play various roles in the healthcare industry. The first and the most important function of healthcare informatics is the employment of lifecycle information systems. The system also involves design and the implementation of information systems in order to ensure better delivery of healthcare. Logician Ambulatory An important trend in the healthcare industry is the use of logician which is an electronic medical record system. The system allows healthcare organizations to provide ambulatory care to patients. The system also rationalizes the workflow system and allows clinicians to exchange data. Logician system enables the organization of data and allows various users to view the same information from different workstations. The system provides direct and fast access to information (Avancha, Amit, and David. 2012). Wireless Technology Wireless technology is used as an umbrella term for mobile phones, wireless networks, and wireless communication. The wireless technology offers greater flexibility and mobility to its users. With the help of this technology, data can be accessed from anywhere at any time. There are two basic approaches for using wireless data networks. The first approach involves the use of a wireless LAN and other involves wireless connectivity to the Internet. The emerging technologies in the healthcare industry have allowed healthcare organizations to overcome the rising cost of healthcare. The new approaches to healthcare do not only allow organizations to control cost but also enable them to provide high quality service. The demand for high quality and specialized healthcare has been increasing across the world. There is a significant demand for specialty healthcare such as oncology, ophthalmology, nephrology, and other specialized services. The rise of medical tourism is also an emerging trend in the healthcare industry. English speaking countries are offering high quality and advanced medical facilities at a low cost in order to attract foreigners. The state of technology, in the healthcare industry, is changing very rapidly. Previously, most of the tasks were performed through manual systems and processes (Yee, Erin, and Caroline, 2008). The use of technology in healthcare system has resulted in both positive and negative consequences. The nursing and healthcare education also utilizes advanced technology in order to improve learning and to improve the overall performance of healthcare. The use of technology in healthcare includes multimedia presentations and other systems to increase patient care. There are standardized healthcare plans that can be accessed from various systems at various places. The healthcare agencies utilize advanced technology in order to keep the staff updated (Randeree, 2009). The computer usage in health care agencies has positive and negative points of view. Some of the positive views are that nurses have been hesitant to use computers, because of the perceived increase in their work occurring. Also ventilators today are computers that need to be programmed with particular data about the patient and gives data about the patient. The emerging healthcare technology has allowed healthcare providers to collect, organize, and transfer information. However, the role of technology in healthcare is challenging because of the rapid pace of technological change. CPOE is an emerging technology in the healthcare system which allows physicians to enter orders into a computer. The use of this technology has reduced the role of handwriting in the healthcare environment. Another significant development in this field is electronic health records EHRs also known as automated medical records and computer based records (Randeree, 2009). The advanced systems can be applied as passive tools used for storing information about patients. When purchasing technology, it is important for healthcare professionals and organizations to consider factors. The advanced technology must be compatible with the existing system of an organization (Wu, Yi-Cheng Chen, and Robert, 2009). Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) is also a type of advanced healthcare system. The system has allowed healthcare professionals to access real time information and provide real time diagnostic recommendations to patients. The system is an integration of different technologies. CDSS consists of simple alert systems and other advanced protocols. Picture Archiving and Communication system (PACS) is the healthcare technology, which is used to capture and integrate diagnostic and radiological images from different devices such as MRI, X-rays. After accessing images, they are disseminated into medical records or clinical data repository (Huryk, 2010). Bar coding is also used in the healthcare environment. In different healthcare organizations, optical scanners and other devices are used to capture electronic information. The system is used for medications and other purposes. One of the examples of its application includes the matching between bar codes on medications and arm bracelets of patient. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is used in healthcare organizations for the purpose of tracking patient and link their medications and reports through wireless communication systems. The automated dispensing machines (ADMS) are also used in the healthcare environment in order to distribution medication. The Electronic Material Management (EMM) is also advancement in the healthcare environment. This system is used by healthcare organizations to track and manage the inventory of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals. This technology is similar to ERP system which is outside healthcare environment. The concept of interoperability is also important in the field of healthcare. The concept of interoperability is similar to electronic communication. With the use of this concept, data from one IT system can be transferred from one system to another. The idea of interoperability focuses on the developments of various standards for content and messaging (Gaba, 2007). One of the primary reasons for adopting emerging technologies in healthcare systems is the belief that the advanced systems can improve the quality of patient care. However, further research is needed in order to better understand the link between IT and the quality of healthcare quality. The quality of healthcare depends on the coordination between physicians, nurses, patients, and the families of patients. This coordination can be better achieved through the use of advanced technology. References Avancha, Sasikanth, Amit Baxi, and David Kotz. 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(2009). “Healthcare technology management competency and its impacts on IT-healthcare partnerships development.” International journal of medical informatics 78(2): 71–82. Yee, Kwang Chien, Erin Miils, and Caroline Airey. (2008) “Perfect match? Generation Y as change agents for information communication technology implementation in healthcare.” Studies in health technology and informatics 136: 496–501. Read More