Anyone who has kept an eye on current political agendas has surely noticed that health care information technology has been repeatedly discussed as a priority in 2005.
Health care IT was a major topic of discussion for President Bush during a recent speech in Northeast Ohio. Sen. William Frist (R-Tenn.), the only medical doctor in the Senate, addressed the topic in a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Newt Gingrich, former Republication Speaker of the House, has also been writing about transforming health care through information systems. But what is all the discussion really about?
Americans have much to be proud of relative to their health care system. Recently released data show that our lives now average 77.6 years, the longest lifespan ever. Yet, within the system, issues can occur. In 1999, a think tank group called the Institute of Medicine released a report called “To Err is Human.” This report attributed between 44,000 and 98,000 patient deaths each year to human error.
Looking to IT for answers
Information technology is one potential solution to these issues. Many experts believe that just as information technology systems revolutionized such industries as retailing, travel and shipping, adoption of new technologies could allow for a complete transformation of the health care industry. There is strong data to suggest that computerization of today’s manual processes will go a long way to prevent human errors.
The new technologies are varied and include many components but share a common goal in that they all contribute to an electronic medical record (EMR). An ideal EMR would contain all necessary health information on an individual, would be able to be used seamlessly by physicians in their offices, hospitals and clinics, and could still protect patient privacy.
It is easy to understand how EMRs could reduce errors and health care costs through elimination of paperwork. But EMRs could also improve efficiencies throughout the health care system.
Although there is disagreement among providers over the advantages offered by different EMRs and their components, many agree with the concept. One of the major primary obstacles hindering adoption of the technology is cost. The United States spends 15 percent of its gross domestic product on health care, more than any other nation in the world. With our population aging, the costs of medical and pharmacological technology rising and the increase in the uninsured population, there appears to be no room for a major reduction in health care spending.
As such, it is extremely difficult for many health care providers to justify the added capital expense of information technology. According to Sen. Frist, “the health care sector invests dramatically less — some 50 percent less — in information technology than any other major sector of our economy.”
Providers must take the lead and develop strong partnerships with public and private sector groups to initiate a health care information technology revolution. Both federal programs and private payors should use payment incentives to encourage the adoption and deployment of electronic medical records.
In the absence of assistance, innovative providers will proceed and use information technology to transform today’s health care system into a more cost-effective, efficient, accurate and truly patient-focused service.
Alan Bleyer is CEO of Akron General Health System, which includes Massillon Community Hospital, Visiting Nurse Service & Affiliates and RoseLane, a long-term care facility. The system has more than 6,000 employees and 1,000 physicians. Reach him at (330) 344-6000 or www.akrongeneral.org.
