National Health IT (NHIT) Week is here and celebrates its 12th year this week to increase awareness of the role IT plays in the healthcare industry. NHIT is organized by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and will have four areas of focus this year: healthcare transformation, bringing high quality healthcare to more people, the role of health IT and economic growth, and supporting public health. Given these four areas of focus, we thought it would be a good chance to highlight some of our most interesting stories from Future Healthcare Today around these topics.
Transforming Healthcare
We have covered many stories on Future Healthcare Today about the proliferation of healthcare data and the ways it’s being used to transform healthcare and improve patient care. The volume of digital information from technologies like mobile apps, wearables and telemedicine, and the fact that more than 90% of the world’s data sets were created in the past two years alone has created an opportunity like no other to transform healthcare. Healthcare providers are in search of solutions that let them cost-effectively store and manage the growing mountain of data, and access the information contained within to drive better patient care. Find out how they are doing so here.
Bringing High Quality Healthcare to More People
There is no debating the fact that the United States has faced a rural healthcare crisis for quite some time now. With hospitals in isolated communities closing and doctors leaving rural areas for better opportunities in cities, the crisis comes at exactly the moment that America’s rural communities need help the most. Despite declining rural populations, there are still over 46 million Americans living in rural areas and these communities not only have to manage everyday health concerns, but have been hardest hit by major public health crises, including the opioid epidemic. Find out how healthcare organizations are bringing healthcare access to more people here.
The Role of Health IT in Economic Growth
According to a report by Lloyd’s of London®, a global cyberattack could trigger an estimated $53 billion in economic losses, more than the cost of the catastrophic disaster Hurricane Sandy that hit the United States in 2012. “Cyber risk is a growing global threat,” the report stated. “While digitization is revolutionizing business models and transforming daily lives, it is also making the global economy more vulnerable to cyberattacks.” Beyond financial investment, other steps can be taken to help ensure your healthcare organization is well-placed to defend itself and protect long term economic consequences. Find out more here.
Supporting Public Health
During National Public Health Week earlier this year, we covered how technologies such as electronic health records (EHRs), telehealth, and programs such as the 500 cities project, were recognized as key enablers of improved patient outcomes. In this health IT roundup, we recognize some of the latest technologies and health IT trends that make it possible for us to create the healthiest nation in one generation. Continue reading to find out what they are.
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