Communication and IT - Essay Example

Latest Health Care Technology Technology in Health Care Technological advancement has intervened in almost all fields of life. Health care is no different. Computer technology has caused revolutionary changes in the field of medicine and the level of integration has become so high that it is hard to imagine the respective field without technology. One of the latest technologies that have been witnessed in the field of health care is electronic medical records. MITRE Corporation (2006) defined it as the electronic version of the health records of the patients that might have been generated in the past trips to their doctor.

This new technology has caused an important transition for medical records of patients- from paper to computer records. The conventional modes of maintaining customer’s medical history has been replaced by effective management of the electronic data records. Due to this technology, doctors can access the customers’ information from anywhere, where internet access is available. The electronic management of medical history of patients proves to be effective even during natural disasters or catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina or 9/11.

Physical records cannot be available at such tragic times; however electronic medical records prove to be very effective. These records are maintained at several locations around the country so that such disasters do not result in the loss of data. Doctors may share their electronic medical records with other doctors. Such a practice facilitates discussions between doctors for devising the most effective treatment for patients with rare illnesses. Change of doctors can also be done in an effective manner since the medical history of the patient can be easily accessed by the new doctor.

However, Freudenheim (2009) stated that some doctors hesitate in making the transition to the new systems due to the requirement of expensive infrastructure and personnel. Some doctors argue that the hefty investment did not bring about expected profits to their business, whereas some doctors believe that their productivity has increased significantly due to this technology. Customers prefer the new technology since they do not have to wait for the attendants to search for their physical medical records.

The medical assistants can find the required information on the computer in a faster manner than the conventional manual methods. Freudenheim (2009) pointed out that the customers are able to get a printout every time they leave the doctor’s clinic about the diagnosis or progress that would have taken place in that trip. According to a new study quoted by Debusmann (2011); more than half of the Americans prefer the electronic medical records. In spite of its wide acceptance among the masses, few concerns are present in the field of medicine regarding its adaptation.

American Medical Informatics Association (2009) explained that the privacy of the data is one of the major concerns since it is feared that the medical records might start being used by pharmaceutical companies for their analytical decision making purposes. The new technology needs to be coupled with more reliable security measures so that the data is not threatened to be used by unreliable third parties. It is also required to improve the accessibility rights of the systems to ensure that only a specific set of individuals have access to the electronic medical records of the clients.

The reason for hesitation from some doctors might be due to their lack of technical skills, therefore it is recommended for them to acquire short training sessions to make them acquainted with the technology. References American Medical Informatics Association (2009, December 22). Electronic health records: Concerns about potential privacy breaches remain an issue. ScienceDaily. Debusmann, B. (2011, February 8), Most Americans favor electronic medical records, New York Reuters. Freudenheim, M.

(2009, April 10). As Medical Charts Go Electronic, Rural Doctor Sees Healthy Change, The New York Times. MITRE Corporation, (2006), Electronic health records overview, National Center for Research Resources.