As National Health IT week comes to an end, our focus shifts to what we can do to improve and refine our use of technology in healthcare. Technology plays a growing and vital role in efficiency across the board when it comes to different industries, so healthcare providers simply can’t afford to let it slip through their hands.
Advancements in technology can lead to improved cybersecurity, Medicaid data usage, health spending, data sharing, ROI, as well as level of care; this makes the proper utilization of medical technology vital to the success and efficiency of a healthcare organization.
The Healthcare Industry Still Lacks in Efficient Technology Utilization
Unfortunately, despite the advancement of technology in healthcare, the majority of organizations are either poorly utilizing it or failing to move forward as advancements are made. A striking majority of healthcare facilities either have not installed an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, or have only the bare-bones basic EHR system meant to comply with the minimum requirement to meet the standards set by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.These poorly designed EHR systems are commonly criticized by clinicians who claim that they are a waste of time. However, inefficiencies in IT lead to more than slowdowns and frustrations, they cause a slow drain of funds as well as a lower level of care caused by inefficiencies in the system and an inability to adapt to it.
To showcase the lack of efficient utilization of available technology in healthcare, just compare it to stats taken from Harvard Business Review on other industries such as the information industry:
● The information industry has grown by 4.8% from 1997 to 2016, and, while the employment of the industry has actually gone down, labor productivity has increased by 5.5% — These numbers suggest that this industry is using technology to its advantage and is becoming extremely efficient. Despite fewer workers than before, the industry is still more effective.
● The healthcare industry, on the other hand, has seen real industry growth of 2.6% in that same time period and has hired more employees to compensate for that growth (2.1% employment growth.) However, what kind of labor productivity has it seen? Less than one percent.
What does this data mean?
Despite the advancements in health technology, the industry is failing to implement it strategically and effectively.
How Some Healthcare Providers are Closing the Gap
Many healthcare organizations resort to downsizing and employee reduction as a means to save money, however, evidence suggests that downsizing workforce is not an efficient way of reducing costs, especially when compared to improving IT efficiency.Traditionally, the implementation of healthcare IT department is left up to the chief information officer and any IT personnel. Unfortunately, as history has shown, this can be radically ineffective. However, some healthcare providers are realizing an effective way to improve ROI, increase efficiency as well as care, remain compliant, and retain essential cybersecurity, all without straining their business.
Take one long-term and post-acute care provider for example. They realized their need for assistance with health IT in 1996, decided against hiring their own IT department, and chose to utilize Crossroads Technology to provide IT management.
And they never looked back.
For that organization, healthcare technology is now effortless. Outsourcing their IT needs to a service that specializes in healthcare IT was an easy choice. This way, they haven’t missed a beat as new technology emerges into the market. They are easily guided through technology generation updates. This includes the training and education necessary to convert their old EHR system into an efficient digital machine.
As new technology emerges, without assistance from experts, it can be almost impossible to quickly adapt and fully utilize the capabilities of the new tech.
For 22 years and counting, this organization has remained compliant across the board. They have access to support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any IT issue, and have excelled in the wake of 4 generations of HIPPA progressions.
Crossroads simplifies healthcare technology in an attractive and user-friendly way. Organizations that want to close the gap between effective technology utilization and their healthcare organization benefit from outsourcing their health IT needs to experts in the field.
For more information on the benifit of engaging Crossroads Technologies for your healthcare IT needs please contact us at call +1 (866) 216-4366 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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