Information system for the healthcare industry has continuously evolved. In the past few decades, steady pace of digitization of patient & healthcare data has set the tone for advances in healthcare information system (HIS). From paper-based system to computerized patient records to electronic health records, HIS encompasses slew of healthcare IT to obtain these data and manage these to improve patient care quality. Health systems in developed economies have zealously built on various business models to adopt electronic medical/health records in different healthcare environments.
Benefits of the adoption of HIS has always been multifaceted. On one side of the spectrum, healthcare providers including hospitals, clinics, ambulatory centers, and small offices, are leveraging HIS to improve operational and clinical workflows, reduce the cost of delivery of various services, and boost patient outcomes—all which can be grouped under better resource utilization in the healthcare industry. Examples are usage of HIS in hospital billing, radiology services, and pharmacy automation. On the other hand, rapid utilization of patient-centered information in a HIS has empowered patients to make healthcare decision more effectively and promptly with one major advantage—evidence-based decision making.
Healthcare Information Systems to Lay Framework for Better Decision Making
Healthcare information technology has laid the foundation for digital health systems to improve disease management in several ways. From disease diagnosis to treatment prognosis, from patient education to remote management of chronic diseases, and from population health to screening of communicable diseases, healthcare information system has aligned all stakeholders to work toward affordable and accessible quality patient care.
Healthcare information systems comprises diverse array of components notably including radiology information system (RIS), picture archiving & communications system (PACS), and laboratory electronic HIS (EHIS). Proponents of HIS are intent on integrating the data flowing across these systems to improve clinical decision making and decision support for both healthcare workers and patients. An instance is potential usage of billing systems to expedite insurance reimbursement. Another case in point is ongoing efforts to adopt clinical decision support systems to prevent quality and patient safety events. All these factors are likely to shape the healthcare information systems market development.
Harnessing Potential of Healthcare Information Technology in Chronic Disease Management
Countries in the past few years are implementing HIS in health promotion programs. In particular, management of chronic diseases presents a vast business opportunity to companies in the healthcare information systems market. Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases pose a significant health burden, in terms of high worldwide prevalence. The morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases is likely to surge in the next couple of decades, presenting a massive public health challenge. Stakeholders are witnessing an incredible potential here. Efforts to assess the risk factors of chronic diseases across demographics are already paying off—accounting for high revenue potential of the healthcare information systems market. HIS is being rapidly utilized by decision makers to aggregate epidemiological data and further leverage that to develop risk models to guide disease screening programs in various countries. Companies in the healthcare information systems market opine that there is an incredible potential of healthcare information systems in their usage to understand population risk factors for severe disease across different age groups. An example is a recent study where researcher demonstrated that electronic health records were used to evaluate potential risk factors for death after a COVID-19 infection.
Health systems of several countries are collaboratively working to harness the potential of HIS in critical care and acute settings. Clinical decision support systems have come to play a vital role in managing diseases that pose high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. A case in point is the demand for health IT systems among hospitals to manage sepsis. Healthcare IT solutions allow clinicians access to the most important patient treatment response data and lab results, thus helping them make necessary and timely interventions. A reliable internet connection, like Spectrum Internet (It is an internet service provider), is imperative to effectively utilize and leverage such technologies. This ensures seamless access to crucial data in real time and enables clinicians to make informed decisions. Role of HIS in critical care settings is expected to advance further. Various HIS components have been commercialized that allow clinicians access to crucial data in real time and guide decision making. An instance is usage of software suite in medical anesthesia.
Regulations to Set the Stage for Healthcare Technology toward Better Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety
Regulatory agencies and healthcare providers work concertedly to enhance the quality of data that reside in the various components of HIS. A case in point is focus on HIPAA compliance component for healthcare providers.
Another emerging area that evoked attention of healthcare agencies is usage of HIS to prevent or reduce patient safety events. These situations notably include medication errors, and health care-associated infections. Health systems in OECD countries and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have witnessed a notable rise in burden of such adverse events leading to millions of deaths and years lost to disability and death. Specifically, they use alerts in clinical decision support systems to reduce medication prescription errors significantly. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be an emerging market for healthcare information systems. A key market trend is implementation of HIS to manage diseases at point-of-care in Asia.
Countries Aim toward Integrated HIS to Garner Comprehensive Benefits
Efforts to develop health information systems architecture to build capacities in the industry have gathered momentum in recent years. HIS exerts a high potential in laying the foundation of a robust digital health initiatives. Integrated health information systems to boost universal health coverage is a case in point. The drive toward integrated HIS stems from need for sustainable health systems. Several countries have warmed up to the potential of integrated approaches in HIS to advance the goal of global attainment of health and well-being.
Companies are tapping into the unmet need for a robust healthcare information systems to integrate rehabilitation into health systems. An instance is developing HIS for programs such as the WHO Rehabilitation Programme.
Integrated healthcare information system (HIS) has generated significant attention among healthcare providers and patients alike. A case in point is demand for integrated HIS that combines the functionality of patient monitoring system and hospital information system in emergency and acute care settings such as in ICU, neonatal intensive care, and operating rooms. As health systems will evolve, stringent implementation of regulations and support by governments will help shape the growth trajectories of the healthcare information system market in the near future.
