How Future Trends in Health Care Affect the Delivery of Health Care Services to Patients - Coursework Example

Running head: FUTURE TRENDS IN HEALTH CARE An Assessment of How Future Trends in Health Care Affect the Delivery of Health Care Services to PatientsSharon Thompson University of Phoenix Future Trends Joseph Chiappetta Week 5/HCS 533 September 17, 2009 Abstract This essay is written with the objective of presenting trends in health care which can impact the delivery of health care services in the near future. This discourse would include an assessment of how the Internet, or any other new form of electronic communication, may be used as an external delivery source in communicating patient-specific information. In addition, the impact of distance delivery on health care will be addressed. A comparison on the use of email, telemedicine, and the electronic transfer of records will also be presented. Finally, an assessment of how these issues impact healthcare today and how they might impact healthcare 5 years from now will be evaluated and examined. Future Trends in Health Care Introduction The origin of the internet dates back to the early 1960s. Its evolution changed the course of communication, computer technology and even trends in the delivery of health care spanning a diversity of people and cultures. Today’s generation could not envision a world without it since the benefits afforded by the Internet are so enormous and innovative. This technological development continues to evolve and still has a vast future ahead. Many stakeholders desire to continue their quest to discover new applications and uses, especially in the field of health care, which would define the future of the health care industry. However, the consequences of information overload, accessibility and security of data have tremendous effects in communicating patient-specific information. Due to the technology provided by the Internet, the current way of life will never be the same. This essay is written with the objective of presenting trends in health care, which will impact the delivery of health care services in the near future. This discourse will include an assessment of how the Internet, or any other new form of electronic communication, may be used as an external delivery source in communicating patient-specific information. In addition, the impact of distance delivery on health care will be addressed. A comparison on the use of email, telemedicine, and the electronic transfer of records will also be presented. Finally, an assessment of how these issues impact healthcare today and how they might impact healthcare five years from now will be evaluated and examined. Future Trends in Health Care and the Influence of the Internet In a conference on Webcast: The Future of IT, Key Trends in Health, Murray, Jordan, and Purcarea, executives from Microsoft, averred that “in the future, trends such as increases in computer processing power, disk capacity, network bandwidth, and the availability of wireless technologies, along with decreases in power consumption, will enable the transformation of Health.” (eHealthNews 2009, par. 1) The influence of the Internet on health care has a tremendous effect on the delivery of health care services to patients. As early as 1999, Cain and Mittman emphasized the growing role of the Internet in the health care industry. They identified driving forces and barriers in the use of the Internet. The following major driving forces that made the use of the Internet inevitable are as follows: the nature and profile of the 21st century health care consumers, the experiences of consumers with other industries, the features and applications possible with the Internet, and the market forces. Electronic technologies emerged as the best alternative providing low cost, easily accessible and available information for health care providers nationwide and worldwide. Health care organizations used this media to promote their services to a wider clientele. In contrast, there were several barriers to prevent the total dependence and reliance on the Internet in the delivery of health care services, to wit: “security concerns, the characteristics of the Internet, the mixed quality of information, physician ambivalence, the disarray of health care information systems, and the lack of resources for web development, and too many standards,” among others. (Cain & Mittman 1999, pars. 6 – 12) To date, new releases on the application of electronic health records have not been fully implemented due to speculations that this strategy would ultimately increase health care costs. According to Haig (2009), “there will be a cost for computerizing patient records that could prove greater than the billions that would be spent setting it up. EMR is being pushed hardest by those who would profit financially from it — not just technology companies but also large hospitals and medical practices hoping to improve billing and control internal costs.” (pars. 2 & 3) Despite these negative concerns, the use of the Internet and other forms of electronic health records, facilitate the accessibility and availability of health information including patients’ records. With global users expanding their awareness and knowledge of applications in the Internet, patients and health care providers use hospital information systems to access relevant records and data from a distance. The Impact of Distance Delivery to Health Care Distance delivery is associated with the use of advances in communications technology in the delivery of health care services. The emergence of new technologies such as the cable, satellite and the Internet had a tremendous impact on the traditional forms of mass media and influenced trends in health care. The use of the email facilitated the delivery of correspondences and information needed by health care practitioners. On the other hand, Puskin (2002, 135) defines telemedicine as “the use of telecommunications and information technologies to provide or support clinical care at a distance.” This approach is accomplished through interactive videoconferencing, remote monitoring, question and answer sessions between patients and a computer. Electronic transfer of records, on the other hand, utilizes magnetic tapes, compact disk-read only memory, and file transfer protocols (The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration 2005, pars. 2 - 4). The first benefit of distance delivery is the immediate access and availability of pertinent information and data relevant to patient care. However, this easy accessibility has its drawbacks. In an article written by Curtin (1997, pars. 48 - 56), he identified several types and sources of internet threats, to wit: (1) denial of service; (2) unauthorized access; (3) executing commands illicitly; (4) confidentiality breaches and (5) destructive behavior. In health care, the most prevalent threats of distance delivery are unauthorized access and confidentiality breaches, among those enumerated. Confidentiality breaches, as the name implies, is access to classified information. If relevant information including patients’ records fall into wrong hands, legal implications could ensue. The health care industry is regulated by laws which protect the privacy and confidentiality of the patients. There have been legal cases that were filed due to breach of confidentiality laws. In this regard, health care organizations must exercise due diligence in ensuring that all personnel are trained and oriented on the importance of confidentiality breaches. Impact on Contemporary Health Care The emergence of these advances on technology on health care today solicits diverse reactions from health care practitioners. For those working in the records and billing section, these technological breakthroughs are a welcome respite to voluminous patients’ files, data and paper works. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (HJKFF) (2007, par. 6) reported that “while a particular new technology may either increase or decrease health care spending, researchers generally agree that, taken together, advances in medical technology have contributed to rising overall U.S. health care spending.” Several factors have to be taken into account to assess whether the technological advancement increased or decreased health care costs: “(1) impact on cost per patient; (2) the level of use that a new technology achieves; (3) evaluating the impact of a new innovation can be complicated.”(HJKFF 2007, pars. 7 - 9) Another relevant impact was resistance from physicians. As averred by Haig (2009, par. 6) “harried doctors, who barely have enough time to see all their patients and manage all their cases, do not want to bother with the added chore of learning a new computer system, no matter what the promise of its virtues. Past research suggests doctors are afraid that Electronic Health Records could reduce their clinical productivity.” Impact of Communication Issues on Health Care Five Years from Now As technology continues to develop and advance, the apprehensions and barriers identified today prevent full implementation of the health information system would definitely be resolved. Factors that continue to encourage the growth of medical technology together with its communication and support systems are evident. Among these factors are: the demand for consumers and patients services that provide improved health conditions, health insurance processes and systems to discover medical breakthroughs, physicians searching for improved methods for treatment and focus on research and development. As a result, newer applications will enable health care providers to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of services for patient care. Newer applications will be an inevitable matter of due course. Health care communications five years from now will seek to eliminate the threats and weaknesses inherent in the contemporary system. Conclusion In addressing the concerns emerging on health information systems, the most critical factor to consider is the organization’s awareness of the changing environment. Health care organizations must identify the threats, issues, developments, and applications that encompass the latest developments in telecommunications and security. The influence of the Internet and other electronic sources such as email, telemedicine and electronic transfer has greatly changed the traditional methods of health care delivery. The contemporary trends in health care are continuously evolving and growing, and will continue to impact health care five years from now. Although distance delivery may have its drawbacks, as identified by physicians and practitioners, different concerns would eventually be addressed in the near future. Health care practitioners can only be vigilant in assessing which trends would ultimately benefit the patients they care for. References Cain, M. & Mittman, R. (1999). The Future of the Internet in Health Care: A Five-Year Forecast. Retrieved 14 September 2009 from < http://www.informatics- review.com/thoughts/future.html> Curtin, M. (1997). Introduction to Network Security. Retrieved 14 September 2009 from eHealth News. (2009). Webcast: The Future of IT, Key Trends in Health. Retrieved 14 September 2009 from Haig, S. (2009). Wrong Prescription. Time Magazine March 26, 2009.Retrieved 14 September 2009 from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (HJKFF) (2007). How Changes in Medical Technology Affect Health Care Costs. Retrieved 14 September 2009 from < http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/chcm030807oth.cfm> Puskin, D.S. (2002).An Overview of telemedicine: Through the looking glass. In M.L. Armstrong & S. Fruch (eds.) Telecommunications for Nurses. (2nd ed. Pp. 135 – 165). New York: Springer. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. (2005). Transfer of Electronic Records. Retrieved 14 September 2009 from < http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/initiatives/transfer-records-to-nara.html> Read More