ROLE OF IT IN HEALTHCARE Information technology (IT) holds the key to a radical transformation of the hea lthcare industry.

The next revolution in healthcare is not only about medicine, but about using technology to deliver information that drives safe and efficient patient-centric care. Advanced technology solutions are giving rise to futuristic digital hospitals wher e everything is connected. IT can provide hospitals with infrastructure solutions that deliver the agility and adaptability required to support the changing nature of Health Information T echnology. DIGITAL HOSPITAL By definition, the digital hospital is connected which leads to better efficienc y and information flow laying the groundwork for better patient care. In a digital hospital, systems and people communicate real time information, im proving responsiveness, accuracy and ultimately patient care. A digital hospital can extend services beyond its physical boundaries creating a better healthcare experience for the community FAST FACTS Digitally advanced hospitals experience greater reductions in the average length of patient stay and larger increases in operating revenues. Digital hospitals spend merely three and five percent of their operating budget on IT. FEATURES Tele-health Electronic Health Records (EHR & Interoperability) Security, Privacy, and the Law for the Healthcare Industry Hospital Design and IT Track and Trace E-Prescribing WHAT IT ENTAILS Replacing expensive, hard-to-share and easily lost films (e.g. X-rays) with digi tal images that can be effortlessly shared, stored and accessed. Moving from an environment dominated by hand-written notes and physician orders to an environment in which staff use information systems to document patient rec ords as well as enter and process orders. Taking advantage of advanced technology such as RFID and using it imaginatively to meet a host of needs, such as 1. prescribing and checking drug interactions at the point of care 2. quickly checking a patients blood type during an operation 3. matching newborn infants with their parents, or 4. triggering a lock-down if an infant is removed from a secured area. FOR DOCTORS Enables them to visit their patients in the hospital from wherever they are in t he world. Allow doctors to communicate with other hospital staff members from outside the hospital. They can view patients X-rays by logging into a radiology program through intra net. The images are crisper than they are on film, and the system saves doctors from having to run to the hospital s radiology department to look at test result s. Allows doctors to order new tests and meds via computer right from a patient s b edside. Since there are no handwritten prescriptions, there are also no more worries abo ut illegible orders by physicians. (By reducing errors, the technology reduces t

he costs associated with medical mistakes.) NURSES Nurses can use a wireless laptop to enter information about patients right at th e bedside by logging in wirelessly to the hospital s central patient-charting sy stem 1. patients vital signs 2. symptoms, and 3. medications. FOR PATIENTS Built-in videoconferencing technology allows patients to converse with their phy sicians through the robot, making them feel as if the doctors are right in the r oom. SYSTEM SECURITY The systems security features prevent third parties from accessing private patien t information. At the same time, it helps to minimize faxes, phone calls and the like while pro viding patients the information they need to participate more fully in their hea lthcare experience. The new technology allows hospitals to match medication with patients more quick ly, easily and accurately. Computers scan a bar code on a patient s wristband, then scan the bar code on th e medication and indicate if it is safe to administer the drugs. ADVANTAGES Hospital resources employed more efficiently Internal processes optimized Quality and safety of care improved through real-time reliable communication Patient information shared quickly and with a high degree of security Mobile equipment and key assets can be tracked wirelessly Patients can be monitored remotely, quickly and accurately; By combining EMR with wireless mobile technology, patient records follow you whe rever you go. Patient files can be retrieved where and when needed by Doctors. Ability to be in two places at once can make a major difference in productivity an d in quality of patient care. ULTIMATELY Better access to information, less duplication of effort and shorter patient sta ys Reduce information bottlenecks and enable ongoing development of workflows More time spent on patient care and less time on paperwork More satisfied employees and patients Making diagnosis and treatment faster and more efficient;