Medical technology: Reshaping healthcare delivery

In this age, technology allows hospitals, outpatient facilities and other parties in the healthcare continuum to capture patient data from registration to diagnoses to post discharge helping reshape the way healthcare can be delivered. Even in this economic climate, hospitals are continuing to purchase new technology to improve patient outcomes. By shortening inpatient stays and fixing inefficiencies costs can be reduced.

In the above example I was referring specifically to electronic health records (EHRs) which are seen as a significant factor in the reshaping of healthcare delivery. Via EHRs all healthcare providers are able to share one secure chart, facilitating patient care and eliminating or at least reducing any inconsistencies such as wasted patient and travel time. With the current healthcare system disorganized and in need of a realignment, EHRs and other medical technology help care be delivered right, the first time, and allow for all providers to be on the same page as each other.

Hospitals are making evidence-based decisions that revolve around clinical studies demonstrating improved outcomes with the new technology. Though they are cautious in their approach of purchasing high-priced technology, improving health care quality, cost and safety are top concerns for all hospital executives and as budgets grow tighter finding solution to these issues is a must.

3 questions to consider before investing in new technology:

Will it improve patient care? If new technology is not in the patient’s best interest then it should not be considered. The new technology should be able to provide higher quality care at a lower cost for the patients. One example is advanced robotic surgery systems, which are a costly investment, but can perform less intrusive surgery making for a shorter hospital admission as well as recovery time.

Will operations be streamlined? Next to patient care, new equipment should streamline operations, resulting in cost savings for the hospital. Whether as a result from combining services, requiring fewer employees to administer care or simply replacing older equipment that costs more to maintain, new technology needs to make the health facility more efficient.

Is the full gamut of costs being considered? It’s not only the machines that cost money, but just as crucial is the time spent to train providers. For instance, radiosurgery is among one of most expensive capital item hospitals are purchasing and though it costs in the range of $3 million, there are the substantial costs involved of training employees to operate the equipment as well as supporting devices, which sometime require their own service providers.

Hospitals continue to operate on a small budget and though healthcare technology can be costly, it can also save money. In this time, there are many uncertainties, but by paying more attention to facilities’ inefficiencies, there is certainty that new technology can be impactful on bettering patient care and helping curb costs.

Source:healthcarefinancenews