Diffusion Of Health Information Technology In Health Care
C H A P T E R
Information technology in health care
7
C H A P T E R
Information technology in health care
7
In this chapter
I
nformation technology (IT) has the potential to improve the
•
What is health information technology? •
Quality and health information technology
•
Current status of health information technology
•
Efforts to encourage faster diffusion quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. Diffusion of IT in health care is generally low (varying, however, with the application and setting) but surveys indicate that providers plan to
increase their investments. Drivers of investment in IT include the promise of quality and efficiency gains. Barriers include the cost …show more content…
The following discussion draws on a literature review on hospital IT investments conducted for MedPAC by Abt Associates. It also draws on interviews Abt
Associates conducted with hospitals that have made significant investments in IT, and some that have not, to
better understand IT investment decisions (Abt Associates
2004a and 2004b).
Diffusion of information technology in hospitals varies with the type of technology. Of the three major categories shown in Table 7-1 (p. 159), diffusion is greatest in administrative and financial applications such as patient registration, billing, and payroll. Clinical applications, such as computerized provider order entry for drugs or other items (e.g., lab work) and electronic health records, are less diffused. Infrastructure technologies build the base that other technologies work from, and include both widely diffused technologies, such as e-mail and telecommunications, and those that are less common, such as wireless connections and voice recognition.
Infrastructure investments also include maintaining secure information systems that comply with federal …show more content…
About 15 percent of all hospitals were estimated to have PACS in 2002, with most academic and large hospitals having this technology. In a more recent survey of hospital executives, 49 percent indicated that they had PACS or were implementing it
(Morrissey 2004).
For each type of clinical IT, academic medical centers and large hospitals are more likely to be advanced users.
Providers who are part of integrated systems delivering inpatient and outpatient services are also more likely to have the necessary financial support and a clearer need to ensure smooth flow of information across their systems.
Those who are part of multiple hospital systems (about half of all hospitals according to the American Hospital
Association Guide 2003–2004) probably benefit from IT support offered by the larger organization. They may also be motivated to adopt IT to facilitate information flow across system members.
Clinical applications, particularly CPOE and EHR, may not diffuse rapidly for a number of reasons. They are
relatively new. They are costly, complex, and difficult
Information technology in health care
7
C H A P T E R
Information technology in health care
7
In this chapter
I
nformation technology (IT) has the potential to improve the
•
What is health information technology? •
Quality and health information technology
•
Current status of health information technology
•
Efforts to encourage faster diffusion quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. Diffusion of IT in health care is generally low (varying, however, with the application and setting) but surveys indicate that providers plan to
increase their investments. Drivers of investment in IT include the promise of quality and efficiency gains. Barriers include the cost …show more content…
The following discussion draws on a literature review on hospital IT investments conducted for MedPAC by Abt Associates. It also draws on interviews Abt
Associates conducted with hospitals that have made significant investments in IT, and some that have not, to
better understand IT investment decisions (Abt Associates
2004a and 2004b).
Diffusion of information technology in hospitals varies with the type of technology. Of the three major categories shown in Table 7-1 (p. 159), diffusion is greatest in administrative and financial applications such as patient registration, billing, and payroll. Clinical applications, such as computerized provider order entry for drugs or other items (e.g., lab work) and electronic health records, are less diffused. Infrastructure technologies build the base that other technologies work from, and include both widely diffused technologies, such as e-mail and telecommunications, and those that are less common, such as wireless connections and voice recognition.
Infrastructure investments also include maintaining secure information systems that comply with federal …show more content…
About 15 percent of all hospitals were estimated to have PACS in 2002, with most academic and large hospitals having this technology. In a more recent survey of hospital executives, 49 percent indicated that they had PACS or were implementing it
(Morrissey 2004).
For each type of clinical IT, academic medical centers and large hospitals are more likely to be advanced users.
Providers who are part of integrated systems delivering inpatient and outpatient services are also more likely to have the necessary financial support and a clearer need to ensure smooth flow of information across their systems.
Those who are part of multiple hospital systems (about half of all hospitals according to the American Hospital
Association Guide 2003–2004) probably benefit from IT support offered by the larger organization. They may also be motivated to adopt IT to facilitate information flow across system members.
Clinical applications, particularly CPOE and EHR, may not diffuse rapidly for a number of reasons. They are
relatively new. They are costly, complex, and difficult