If you thought you have heard enough about healthcare in the last couple of months, you might want to turn your television off and not check your mail for the next few months. The Obama administration has begun taking steps to target younger Americans who will be purchasing health insurance for the first time. Open enrollment to online health insurance exchanges begin on October 1st and government health care officials will be appealing to nearly three million young people between the ages of 18-35 through television ads, direct mail campaign, and local grass roots efforts. The goal is to get as many people signed up as possible to sustain the program.

With that in mind, the ultimate aim of the program is to provide more coverage while saving money and improving efficiency. However, hospitals, physician offices are already looking for ways to lower costs and expedite services, and a large amount of the things they’re looking at involve technology in some capacity. There’s no question that healthcare is looking to lower costs as the demand for it increase, and healthcare administrators and professionals are turning towards technology for providing the means to do so without affecting the quality of the care. Here are some approaches they’re taking:

• Healthcare automation: If healthcare officials and patients have one complaint that they say affects overall care, it’s the amount of red tape and lack of funding that’s involved with providing quality care. Reimbursements are declining and facilities are falling apart, but professionals are still being asked to do more with less while remaining in full compliance with standards set forth by HIPPA. Many hospitals and doctor offices are turning towards healthcare automation to expedite service, lower costs and collect revenue in a more efficient fashion. Paperless software removes much of the red tape and paperwork, so professionals can concentrate on providing the best care possible instead of worrying about other bureaucratic issues.
• Rethinking the admittance process: When was the last time you were in a hospital? How many waiting rooms did you have to stay in, and how many forms were you asked to fill out when you made your next stop. Longer waiting times means more dollars are being spent, and hospitals are increasingly turning to engineers to help them with their admittance and discharge process. Engineer teams can help medical professionals see where time is being spent and figure out policies that can improve on these wait times. Something as simple as moving a patient interview to the waiting room rather than the exam room can free up the room and more efficiently provide care to more people.
• Using tablets: Nurses and doctors are increasingly using mobile communications technology, like tablets, to communicate with co-workers and complete their daily work tasks. This has enabled them to get things done quicker and better, so their time is better served taking care of the patients.

There’s no question that healthcare facilities are looking to reduce costs to meet public demand. However, reduced costs cannot sacrifice the quality of care. By utilizing technology in healthcare automation efforts and enlisting the help of others knowledgeable of theory, they’re doing just that.

About Author : John Miller is starting medical school soon so he decides to learn more about the effects of technology on our healthcare system
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