Health Information Technology and quality of patient care

Health Information Technology and quality of patient care

How does Health Information Technology improve the quality of patient care? Specifically, I will focus on current systems and how they impact the quality of healthcare delivery, patient safety, and decreasing medical errors. (Limit research to hospitals only)

Health Information Technology improve the quality of patient care

Firstly, how does Health Information Technology improve the quality of patient care?

Specifically, I will focus on current systems and how they impact the quality of healthcare delivery, patient safety, and decreasing medical errors. (Limit research to hospitals only)

More details;

Many industries have lowered costs and improved quality through investments in information technology. The health care sector, however, has been slow to follow suit.

Many providers lack the computer systems necessary to track a patient’s care or coordinate it across all the providers a patient may see. Yet, information technology can improve the quality of care patients receive by averting medical errors, improving communication and boosting efficiency.

Furthermore, the federal government has stressed the value of health information technology (HIT) in helping providers to share information quickly, monitor compliance with treatment guidelines and measure and improve their own performance. In 2009, Congress approved $29 billion for a national HIT infrastructure with the aim to spur health care providers to adopt information technology more widely in their everyday work.

Technology helps contribute to patient-centered care by fostering communication between providers and patients via online portals, text messaging, and email. It also increases access to information such as online medical records, which can improve self-monitoring and patient convenience.