Technology isn’t just for consumer and business use. With privacy laws making advancements, technology is becoming a big part of the healthcare industry, helping doctors do their jobs better for their patients’ sake. Illinois-based Advocate Health Care is doing just that and, for the 11th straight year, the network of healthcare pros has claimed the title of “Most Wired,” as per a survey from Hospitals and Health Networks magazine.
"We are very proud to be named as one of the nation's Most Wired health systems for another year," said Bruce Smith, senior vice president and chief information officer at Advocate Health Care in a statement. "We are making the most of our technology to help achieve the best possible health outcomes for the patients we are privileged to serve."
According to Forbes Magazine, technology is revolutionizing healthcare. Even though it may be getting more difficult for average citizens to visit their local doctor, the opportunities for both preventive and reactive medicine via the Internet are simply astonishing in quality and quantity. The same industry that introduced Facebook and Angry Birds is now shifting its concentration to how the same technology can be utilized to keep people healthy.
Examples of how technology is driving healthcare into the future is medical practices are beginning to offer patients medical consultations online and over the phone via popular online communication services such as Skype or Google Talk. Aside from connecting doctors with patients, healthcare offices are also utilizing today’s advanced medical billing and coding software for doctor-to-doctor communication. Social networking will help doctors collaborate to solve particularly challenging medical cases.
According to the Most Wired Survey by Hospitals & Health Networks, 69 percent of Most Wired hospitals and 60 percent of all surveyed hospitals report that medication orders are entered electronically by physicians. In addition, 71 percent of Most Wired hospitals have an electronic disease registry to identify and manage gaps in care.
"This year's Most Wired organizations exemplify progress through innovation," says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA). "The hospital field can learn from these outstanding organizations ways that IT can help to improve efficiency."
Edited by
Alisen Downey
