Technological and Social Challenges of Information Technology Article Review

Technological and social challenges of information technology in health care

Information technology has transformed all aspects of society and healthcare is no exception. One 2010 survey of physicians conducted by the Medical Group Management association found that seven of the top ten challenges identified by physicians had to do with health information technology: implementing electronic records-keeping, keeping track of Medicare reimbursement and compensation, and bi;; collections via new information management systems (Sarasohn-Kahn 2010). However, significant challenges exist in implementing health information technology effectively, so it can realize its promise to create a more efficient healthcare system. "Clinical information systems do not communicate with each other automatically because integration of existing data standards is lacking. Data standards for medical specialties need further development. Database architectures are often designed to support single clinical applications and are not easily modified to meet the enterprise-wide needs desired by all end-users" (Kardry et al. 2010). At present, the improvements generated by HIT are not often sufficient to justify its cost. Additionally, "poor user interface and system design hinders clinical workflow and can result in wasted time, poor data collection, misleading data analysis, and potentially negative clinical outcomes" (Kardry et al. 2010).This suggests that technology must improve for there to be a greater willingness to implement technology on a mass scale. Healthcare organizations are often particularly reluctant to commit to a new type of technology when they are uncertain of its value because of the difficulty of switching, once the system is in place. "Healthcare organizations have little recourse if a vendor fails to deliver as intended once the vendor's system becomes embedded into the organization. Decisions on technology acquisitions and implementations are often made by individuals or groups that lack clinical informatics expertise" (Kardry et al. 2010).

While there is much to be desired in terms of how organizations incorporate IT into their infrastructure, there have also been undeniable advances. One such example is the expansion of social media used to connect and educate patients. Hospitals and academic medical centers now have more than 300 YouTube channels and 500 Twitter accounts (Sharp 2010). Websites and Facebook pages can be used to disseminate….....