Health Care Initiatives Will Align Goals for Efficiency, Access and Quality
Health Industry Insights, an IDC company, came out with its top 10 predictions for 2009. I really don't like top 10 predictions, but some of these are interesting. Let me know if you think any, all or none of these predictions will come true. It's your chance to be like the mid-Atlantic weather forecasters who predicted a significant winter storm here along the mid-Atlantic coast, with up to 6 inches of snow possible.
What did we get? A dusting of snow.
You can take your shot at predicting what the health care industry will look like this year. Included within Health Industry Insights' predictions are a number of common themes. According to IDC's research, all of the changes and innovation being seen in health care provider IT are being driven at some level by the global and U.S. economy, public policy and expected shifts therein, and everyone's goal of further controlling costs while improving clinical safety and quality of care.
"As we closed out 2008 in the midst of a deepening global recession, we enter 2009 with trepidation about economic conditions and hopefulness about the prospects for health care and health IT under the incoming Obama administration," said Scott Lundstrom, vice president of research for Health Industry Insights, and author of U.S. Health Industry Provider 2009 Top 10 Predictions: The Changing IT Landscape for Healthcare Providers. "In 2009, we expect U.S. providers to see a new urgency in terms of aligning services with national goals for efficiency, access and quality. These goals will create new policies and initiatives that drive demand for enabling IT solutions."
Here are Health Industry Insights" top 10 predictions with my editorial comments following:
- 1. Health IT Will Weather the Economic Downturn - My two cents: Maybe, but probably with some more belt-tightening.
- 2. The Obama Administration Will Compel Cost Control and Quality Improvements - My two cents: Maybe. If the incoming administration doesn't get tangled up in any other crises (how many can one incoming administration handle?) then maybe the administration can compel cost controls and quality improvements.
- 3. Electronic Prescribing Growth Will Accelerate - My two cents: Definitely. We've already seen success in the health care industry with e-prescribing. Most notably earlier adopters such as Allscripts have had success, as well as the National e-prescribing Patient Safety Initiative.
- 4. The Recession Will Resuscitate Retail Clinics - My two cents: Yes, this is true. Retail clinics have had early successes and this should continue
- 5. Consumers Will Heal Each Other with Health 2.0 Technology - My two cents: No. From what I've heard, CIOs and others IT executives are busy with other initiatives, such as EMRs, etc. (i.e., work) and Health 2.0 may not take off just yet. Besides, most consumers are still learning how to interact with their physicians in their office, never mind electronically. And, if my kid's pediatrician and my general practitioner are any indications, paper still rules in the small physician's office.
- 6. The Credit Crisis Will Give SaaS a Boost - My two cents: Yes it can.
- 7. Would You Like to Visit Our Clinic in Dubai? - My two cents: Not right now.
- 8. Ambulatory EMRs/EHRs Will Have to Have a Hook - My two cents: Not sure why this is, when there have already been some documented successes with EMR and EHR adoption.
- 9. New Products Will Give Remote Patient Monitoring New Life - My two cents: No. Remote patient monitoring has been successful in some locations. See my Oct. 13 report, but it takes a lot of commitment to achieve success. The two stories that I've worked on in the past few years about remote patient monitoring have come with significant commitments by those involved, including dedicated workspace for the remote monitoring technologies, as well as a financial commitment from key stakeholders to make it work. I don't think that most hospitals/health systems can do it on their own; they need collaboration for it to work.
- 10. Health Care IT Will Go Green - My two cents: Like other well-known initiatives - HIPAA comes to mind -- CIOs and IS executives will get tired of hearing about health care IT going green. Many IS executives are operating their data centers more efficiently and will continue to do so, but it won't be health care IT being driven to go green that will do this. CIOs are smart folks; they'll do it not because it's green, but because it's the right thing to do for our world.
Let me know what you think about Health Industry Insights' predictions. Do you agree or disagree?
E-mail me at RMitchell@advanceweb.com