An Rx for the future

Healthcare practices must update their systems or fall behind

Editor’s Note: Technology Partners is a regular column written by members of the  Information Technology Solution Providers Alliance.

When it comes to technological advancements, the healthcare industry has a split personality.

Technology breakthroughs in patient care are lauded. But similar breakthroughs in IT infrastructure are often met with caution and procrastination. Often, the smaller the practice, the more antiquated the office technology, ITSPA board members find.

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Editor’s Note: Technology Partners is a regular column written by members of the  Information Technology Solution Providers Alliance.

When it comes to technological advancements, the healthcare industry has a split personality.

Technology breakthroughs in patient care are lauded. But similar breakthroughs in IT infrastructure are often met with caution and procrastination. Often, the smaller the practice, the more antiquated the office technology, ITSPA board members find.

But for small healthcare businesses to keep competing, they must put the IT building blocks in place to allow adoption of several key technologies.

Because healthcare is essentially a service business, most expenses go to salaries and other employee-related costs. Any increase in worker productivity can go straight to the bottom line. Several IT systems, such as advanced scheduling software, can improve the efficiency of day-to-day activities and increase patient satisfaction.

An effective office management system also enhances the patient experience. It automatically alerts staff to pull the patient’s file before they arrive, places the patient’s name on the doctor’s personal schedule, and integrates with the billing system to ensure the right fee is charged.

As patients become accustomed to smoother, easier office visits, doctors whose offices appear less efficient and organized could lose out.

Myriad codes and regulations make billing software the most important IT system in healthcare. But medical practices must also ensure billing software integrates seamlessly into other office management applications. If not, data could easily be lost - along with revenue.

Doctors have long fretted over how much information to make available to patients. That’s why many have set up a Web presence, either on their own or through a service provider. Service providers can create a customized Web site backed by an extensive library of patient information. Some systems let patients schedule appointments, request prescription refills and ask questions. All this reduces calls to the office, freeing up staff to concentrate on patients.

But perhaps the most compelling reason to update their IT infrastructure is to take advantage of wireless technologies. Some doctors still consider wireless handhelds “pie-in-the-sky.” But many have transformed their practices, using them to access patient information, send e-mail, transmit prescriptions to the pharmacy, order lab tests and review results, review drug databases and search for drug interactions, and ensure all treatment items are billed.

Available off the shelf with little customization needed, mobile devices let doctors spend more time interacting with patients and less time poring over paperwork, and let staff spend less time pulling charts. 

Bennett, vice president of the Information Technology Solution Providers Alliance, is also a principal in Dallas professional services firm ChangeAgent.