Medical Device Link.

Originally Published MX May/June 2005

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

Many critics have charged that the costs of healthcare administration in the United States are out of control, but not everyone agrees on how to resolve the difficulty. And while some analysts charge that the adoption of new medical technologies is a major contributor to rising healthcare costs, others view advancing technologies as a key to reducing those costs.

"If you look at the marketplace today—whether you are looking at the provider side or the finance side—it is very clear there are inefficiencies," says Dogu Celebi, MD, vice president for medical affairs at Integrated Healthcare Information Services (Waltham, MA), a company that develops information systems to improve the clinical, operational, and financial performance of its healthcare clients. “There is no common platform for information.

"Currently, physicians have little information about what procedures are performed on their patients by other doctors," says Celebi. "But with the right systems in place, there is great potential for a return on the productivity side—particularly in clinical practice."

Thomas Swem

In some cases, technology can be used to make up for the lack of direct contact with physicians. "More and more intelligence is being built into diagnostic devices," says Thomas Swem, U.S. leader for the medical device practice at Deloitte & Touche (Boston, MA). "Some diagnostic equipment is able to perform contingent testing, analyzing the results of an initial test and logically ordering the follow-up test."

"Since the length of a hospital stay is most often driven by waiting for patient test results, this is certainly a trend that should increase efficiency in healthcare delivery," Swem adds.

In other cases, technologies are being used to improve healthcare communications, bringing physicians back into the loop. "Eventually, some form of data or communication device will dominate the clinical landscape—either a handheld computer or tablets—and it will work very close to real time," says Celebi. "Doctors will be able to access patient information on a more timely basis, rather than two months after the patient leaves their office."

Barbara Patton

"Handheld computers are beginning to become commonplace for nurses," says Barbara Patton, senior vice president of hospital operations at the Camden Group (El Segundo, CA), a consulting and management-services firm for healthcare organizations. "The devices can allow them to chart medications and do all of their documentation—essentially anything a nurse contributes to the medical record."

"This eliminates the administrative hassle of having to input information at the nurse's station, and keeps nurses more directly in touch with the task of monitoring patients," says Patton.

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