Technology is driving rapid change in health care. The growing adoption of cloud-based Electronic Health Records (EHR) is just one example. These records are more agile for health care practitioners and provide a more complete medical history. For consumers, they mean greater access to and portability of their health information. The number of EHR providers, such as AthenaHealth, Epic, AllScrips and GE Healthcare, has skyrocketed, in part, because these cloud-based platforms can be updated seamlessly and integrate well with other business systems.
Health Care Tech Trends
- Wearable Devices: Biosensors like Jawbone UP, Fitbit and Apple Watch now track glucose levels, activity and sleep patterns.
- Availability of Big Data: Allows the discovery of patterns and opportunities in health care delivery.
- 3D Printing: Is revolutionizing the development of new medical devices.
- Telemedicine: Enables phones, video and mobile devices to become an effective way to reduce the costs of care.
- Smart Phone Apps: Empower individuals to take charge of their own health.
- Transition to Digital: The move from paper records to digital (i.e., cloud computing) streamlines administrative processes such as billing.
- Cyber Security: Is more important than ever. Cyber criminals increasingly target healthcare companies to gain personal identity and payment information.
In 2010, medical images represented 30 percent of all data stored in the United States.
Health Management Technology