Monday, November 17, 2014

Health Care Informatics Evolutions and Transformation to Today


If someone would have ever told me that I would visit with my doctor or his nurse through a computer monitor, receive my lab results via a web portal or review my health information in a personal health record on my mobile device I would have said they were crazy! We could not possibly do that. The rapid growth of the world-wide web as a tool for global connectivity has affected the way in which health-related information is distributed and accessed over the internet (Yap, Chan & Chui, 2009). The thing is I actually somewhat do that now. I see my Dr via the traditional office visit, although my Dr tells me to secure message him on the website if I don't hear from him in a certain amount of time. I can log on and see my medications, and order refills. I can message my Dr if I want a referral for a specialty Dr. It's not perfect although it's a work in progress, never though I'd be able to do this let alone actually doing it.

Since these applications and tools are now available in a wide variety of platforms and on several types of devices, it makes it easier to use. For those who are very familiar with technology and the internet, this evolution in service delivery copies a lot of the changes we have seen in the business world. We live in a fast paced society where we expect to have technology and answers at our finger tips. Technology and communication continue to develop and advance so we may rapidly access this information. The use of telemedicine to improve patients' health has been evolving rapidly over the past few years (Rajan, Seidmann & Dorsey, 2013).  For those who have not advanced with technology changes, the new platforms and growth bring a new set of challenges. The overall evolutions in health care informatics has one goal in mind- bring health care information and processes closer to the patient while improving clinical outcomes. Quality patient centered care has improved through the application of health care informatics. I don't know this first hand as I see Dr at the VA (Veterans Administration) Hospitals and from my knowledge the VA does thing the VA way. I do know that they work with non-VA Dr because they have to sometimes send us to them when the Dr visit can not be accommodated by the VA Dr.

 Telemedicine is not a distant possibility: it is here and in play now. Healthcare leaders said that their organizations are committed to continuing to implement telemedicine programs, even as they face challenges such as getting Dr to buy into the programs and insurers to pay for them.( Rajiv Leventhal 2014)  This just gives further evidence that the telemedicne and the new technology is here to stay, It's working people like it, people are using it. With informatics being used more now than before computer health records, it is allowing the growth of  health care by all the new technology. I feel it will only get better, and as long as it benefits me the patient I can't wait.


Health information technology has the potential to improve the health of individuals and the performance of providers, yielding improved quality, cost savings, and greater engagement by patients in their own health care. Isn't that what everyone really wants? In the end everyone will be happy. Patients get great treatment and healthcare agencies make money and take care of their patients. That should mean less legal issues too, well we can hope can't we? Nothing in this world is perfect, things in healthcare with the help of informatics and telemedicine are getting a lot better, and that is good for everyone.




Yap, K., Chan, A., & Chui, W. (2009). Improving pharmaceutical care in oncology by pharmacoinformatics: the evolving role of informatics and the internet for drug therapy.Lancet Oncology10(10), 1011-1019. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(09)70104-4

Rajan, B., Seidmann, A., & Dorsey, E. R. (2013). The Competitive Business Impact of Using Telemedicine for the Treatment of Patients with Chronic Conditions. Journal Of Management Information Systems30(2), 127-158. doi:10.2753/MIS0742-1222300205

Rajiv Leventhal (2014)  http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/news-item/survey-providers-embrace-telemedicine-despite-obstacles

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