Why is technology important in healthcare? - WheelHouse IT 2890 West State Rd 84 Suite 108 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 (954) 474-2204

Even some twenty years ago, keeping track of patient's health-related information was nothing less than paper charts. The vital information was highlighted and the Protected Health Information was given in acronyms and color-coded so that only the hospital staff and the billing department could use them and understand them. This way of documentation though seemed to be very simple but had several limitations, for example, only one person at a time could help it, there were possibilities of patients' PHI being manhandled and there was no chance of accessing it any other place other than the home or hospital.

The advent of technology has brought a huge change to the scenario. The transfer of patient health information from manual record-keeping to electronic health records (EHR) and the other facilities like telehealth and computerized patient order entry (CPOE) have not only proved to be better sources of protecting the health information but also served the answer to the question of why is technology important in healthcare. Technology has not only raised the bar for the services that are directly related to patient care but also has increased the efficiency, quality, and data protection in the billing department, which has made accessing health-related records from anywhere both safe and easy.

Benefits of the advent of technology in healthcare

●    The advent of technology has almost reduced the importance of medical chart-rooms. The medical records are now stored in a secured cloud environment and could be accessed by all those who have the secured means and the need to access the records. In this way, doctors now can discuss critical patients from anywhere without compromising with the PHI.

●    The technology generates more accurate data than manual reading. Nowadays, devices like stents and pacemakers upload the data on the internet which can be accessed by healthcare providers if they want to know about the patient's current health condition. This helps the doctors to deliver precise and customized care to each patient they have.

●    Technology has made it possible for healthcare providers, doctors, and patients to track the patient and their health records even after the patient has been discharged from the hospital. This helps the patient to access a host of facilities like online registration, appointment, and online bill payment. They can also use telehealth for a regular check-up if the patient resides in a remote area.

Therefore, it has been proven that technology has been able to make healthcare more precise, transparent, and very importantly safe.