Future of Healthcare Technology
Trade journals teem with articles and ads forecasting the future of healthcare technology. Buzzwords like electronic health record (EHR), data exchanging, patient privacy, data security, computers on wheels (COWs), pay for performance, uninsured patients, consumer-driven healthcare (CDHC) and paperless systems get kicked around like soccer balls at the World Cup.
For the most part these buzzwords pertain to systems of the future. Trade journal articles tell of unfinished projects that will someday deliver the desired features.
For example, the electronic health record concept primarily points to data sharing between hospitals, physicians’ clinics, labs, pharmacies, long-term care facilities, health departments, schools, and payers. This data exchanging will streamline the transfer of the patients’ medical information, reduce costs, improve the quality of care, enhance diagnosis and treatment planning, improve billing/reimbursement turnaround, and reduce medical errors.
This sharing of patient data has been a major domestic goal of the Bush administration. Called the National Health Information Network (NHIN), this effort will take decades to implement nationally.
Because of this slow timeline, most states are beginning to make plans of their own health information networks (HIN). But their timeline projections barely beat those of the NHIN. As a result, many hospitals and physicians’ organizations are planning their own regional health information organizations (RHIOs). Small pockets of progress can be seen, but widespread implementation of sharable electronic health records has not found traction.
One reason for the slow development of such data exchanges stems from the absence of any national or state standards. These standards will come eventually, but not before the Cubs meet the Royals in the World Series.
In the meantime, healthcare organizations should begin to position themselves by implementing fully-integrated systems that inherently feature this data sharing between entitieslike Clarus. Our system already shares data between hospitals, clinics, labs, and pharmacies. Future enhancements will include long-term care, practice management and managed care modules that will broaden the Clarus data sharing capabilities.
Clarus® also delivers full paperless practice capabilities. Hospitals and physicians’ practices can store and retrieve scanned images of all patient papers. Thus, any authorized staff member may instantly access these documents without paper routing or searching for physical files.
President Bush’s vision of consumer-driven healthcare will reach its fruition long after he has finished his second term. His vision statement says,
"In an ideal system, Americans would be able to choose their health care based on their individual needs and preferences. Information about the range, price, and quality of available health care options would be readily available and easy to use. Purchasing decisions would be made by consumers, not by employers, insurers, or the government." (The White House National Economic Council Report, Feb. 2006).
Yet your hospital can begin to implement solutions that will attract patients.
- Online bill pay.
- Package pricing.
- Patient-friendly billing.
- Concierge approaches.
Online bill pay allows patients to pay for their services over the web in an amazon.com style portal. Once the patient has created the transaction, the account credit is applied to your receivables.
Patients want to know their financial responsibility for upcoming procedures. The days are short for letting them know weeks after their stay what they must pay. By bundling the institution charges, you can let them know this information in advance. This package approach will help you improve patient satisfaction and reduce bad debt.
For years the HFMA has pushed to improve billing. Their aim is to make hospital and professional bills more understandable for the patients. Hospitals must give greater attention to this means of communication between themselves and their patients.
Innovative hospitals are going great lengths to attract patients. Many offer deluxe servicesgourmet meals, air and ground transportation, and plush accommodations. Because rural hospitals can price their services lower, they present the consumer with luxurious resort-style accommodations for the same price as the large city hospitals charge for the basics.
With services such as online bill pay, package pricing, patient-friendly billing, and concierge treatment, consumers can take more control of their health care options. Our industry and the consumer can benefit from these service improvements.
The technology of the future is here. The rest of the healthcare technology world is just trying to catch up.
