The Impact of Information Technology on Quality of Healthcare Services

The incorporation of information technology tools in medical practice results not only in opportunities related to improved quality and availability of services but also in transformation of the model of care delivery. Spreading use of the computer applications in healthcare is propelled by the growing expectations of citizens about quality of medical care. Furthermore, modern healthcare system relies on the concepts of patient’s empowerment, shared care and continuity of services. The fulfilment of all these requirements may be possible through establishment of the e?health environment allowing for safe “electronic” contacts between physicians and their patients. In turn, the use of telemedical applications improves the process of information exchange between professionals representing different referential levels and areas of medicine. The awareness of the fact that medical errors themselves may be meaningful cause of morbidity and mortality, accerelated searches for effective countermeasures. The use of computer-based solutions is perceived currently as one of the effective remedies. The paper explores the opportunities of improvement of healthcare performance and quality with solutions brought by information technology.

[1]  B Stanberry,et al.  The legal and ethical aspects of telemedicine. 2: Data protection, security and European law , 1998, Journal of telemedicine and telecare.

[2]  Alastair Baker,et al.  Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century , 2001, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[3]  Harvey B Newman,et al.  Networking, videoconferencing and collaborative environments , 1998 .

[4]  G. J. Kuperman,et al.  Bates DW, Leape LL, Cullen DJ, Laird N, Petersen LA, Teich JM, Burdick E, HicSheakey M, Kleefield SB, Vander Vliet M, Seger DL, Effect of computerized physician order entry and a team intervention on prevention of serious medication errors , 1999, Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing.

[5]  S. Shortell,et al.  Crossing the quality chasm: implications for health services administration education. , 2004, The Journal of health administration education.

[6]  G. Moore,et al.  Time to learn: the outlook for renewal of patient‐centred education in the digital age , 2001, Medical education.

[7]  David W. Bates,et al.  Reducing the frequency of errors in medicine using information technology. , 2001, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA.

[8]  A. Wall,et al.  Book ReviewTo Err is Human: building a safer health system Kohn L T Corrigan J M Donaldson M S Washington DC USA: Institute of Medicine/National Academy Press ISBN 0 309 06837 1 $34.95 , 2000 .

[9]  B Stanberry,et al.  Legal and ethical aspects of telemedicine , 1998, Journal of telemedicine and telecare.

[10]  Hagop S. Mekhjian,et al.  Immediate benefits realized following implementation of physician order entry at an academic medical center. , 2002, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA.

[11]  D. Bangert,et al.  Implementing store-and-forward telemedicine: organizational issues. , 2000, Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association.

[12]  T. Ferguson,et al.  Digital doctoring--opportunities and challenges in electronic patient-physician communication. , 1998, JAMA.

[13]  P. Wallace,et al.  Can telemedicine be used to improve communication between primary and secondary care? , 1996, BMJ.

[14]  V. West,et al.  Profile of users of real-time interactive teleconference clinical consultations. , 2000, Archives of family medicine.

[15]  D. Bates,et al.  Effect of computerized physician order entry and a team intervention on prevention of serious medication errors. , 1998, JAMA.

[16]  D. J. Berry,et al.  Clinical consultations using store-and-forward telemedicine technology. , 1999, Mayo Clinic proceedings.

[17]  Joyce A. Mitchell,et al.  Electronic Communication With Patients: Evaluation of Distance Medicine Technology , 1997 .

[18]  Emily S. Patterson,et al.  Research Paper: Improving Patient Safety by Identifying Side Effects from Introducing Bar Coding in Medication Administration , 2002, J. Am. Medical Informatics Assoc..

[19]  M. Debakey,et al.  Telemedicine Has Now Come of Age , 1995 .

[20]  E. Balas,et al.  Distance technologies for patient monitoring , 1999 .

[21]  M. Field,et al.  Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. , 2002, JAMA.

[22]  A Allen,et al.  Technical and clinical progress in telemedicine. , 1999, JAMA.

[23]  Justin Starren,et al.  Patient Participation in Electronic Medical Records , 2001 .

[24]  June Forkner-Dunn,et al.  Internet-based Patient Self-care: The Next Generation of Health Care Delivery , 2003, Journal of medical Internet research.

[25]  R. Tattersall.  The expert patient: a new approach to chronic disease management for the twenty-first century. , 2002, Clinical medicine.

[26]  Technology-Based Disease Management , 2001 .

[27]  Kenneth Mandl,et al.  Electronic Patient-Physician Communication: Problems and Promise , 1998, Annals of Internal Medicine.