IT APPLICATIONS IN HEALTH CARE

Information technology (IT) has the potential to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency
of health care. The use of IT in health care is generally low. Barriers include the cost and
complexity of IT implementation, which often necessitates significant work process and cultural
changes. Given IT’s potential, both the private and public sectors have engaged in numerous
efforts to promote its use within and across health care settings. Additional steps could include
financial incentives (e.g., payment policy or loans) and expanded efforts to standardize records
formats, nomenclature, and communication protocols to enhance interoperability.
Delivering quality health care requires providers and patients to integrate complex information
from many different sources. Thus, increasing the ability of physicians, nurses, clinical technicians,
and others to readily access and use the right information about their patients should improve
care. The ability for patients to obtain information to better manage their condition and to
communicate with the health system could also improve the efficiency and quality of care.
In general, IT allows health care providers to collect, store, retrieve, and transfer information
electronically.
IT Applications are used in the health sector for the administrative and financial systems,
clinical systems and infrastructure that support the administrative and clinical system.
The following technologies and terms are often included in discussions of information
technology in health care:

• Electronic health record (EHR)
EHRs were originally envisioned as an electronic file cabinets for patient data from various
sources (eventually integrating text, voice, images, handwritten notes, etc.). Now they are
generally viewed as part of an automated order-entry and patient-tracking system providing
real-time access to patient data, as well as a continuous longitudinal record of their care.
• Computerized provider order entry (CPOE)
CPOE in its basic form is typically a medication ordering and fulfillment system. More
advanced. CPOE will also include lab orders, radiology studies, procedures, discharges, transfers,
and referrals.
• Clinical decision support system (CDSS)
CDSS provides physicians and nurses with real-time diagnostic and treatment
recommendations. The term covers a variety of technologies ranging from simple alerts and
prescription drug interaction warnings to full clinical pathways and protocols. CDSS may be used
as part of CPOE and EHR.
• Picture archiving and communications system (PACS)
This technology captures and integrates diagnostic and radiological images from various
devices (e.g., x-ray, MRI, computed tomographyscan), stores them, and disseminates them to a
medical record, a clinical data repository, or other points of care.
• Bar coding
Bar coding in a health care environment is similar to bar-code scanning in other
environments: An optical scanner is used to electronically capture information encoded on a
product. Initially, it will be used for medication (for example, matching drugs to patients by using
barcodes on both the medications and patients’ arm bracelets), but other applications may be
pursued, such as medical devices, lab, and radiology.
• Radio frequency identification (RFID)
This technology tracks patients throughout the hospital, and links lab and medication
tracking through a wireless communications system. It is neither mature nor widely available, but
may be an alternative to bar coding.
• Automated dispensing machines (ADMs)
This technology distributes medication doses.
• Electronic materials management (EMM)
Healthcare organizations use EMM to track and manage inventory of medical supplies,
pharmaceuticals, and other materials. This technology is similar to enterprise resource planning
systems used outside of health care.
• Interoperability
This concept refers to electronic communication among organizations so that the data in
one IT system can be incorporated into another. Discussions of interoperability focus on
development of standards for content and messaging, among other areas, and development of
adequate security and privacy safeguards.