Information systems could help the troubled Health Care System. Other industries have lowered cost and improved quality with Information Technology. Health Information Technology could improve the time needed to access patients information, increase patient safety and increase health benefits.
Information technology would decrease costs by reducing hospital stays through better scheduling and coordination, reduce nurse administration time, and more efficient drug utilization. With computers, Physician Order Entry could send alerts and reminders to physicians to warn against potential adverse reactions. This would increase patient safety and generate savings by decreasing hospital stays from adverse drug events.
The health benefits from Information Technology include prevention by scanning patients for the risk factors and initiating preventive services such as vaccinations. Patients who use remote monitoring systems could receive quick responses to potential problems. This would reduce the need to be hospitalized, which improves health and further reduces costs.