It is impossible not to recognize the way technology has changed our lives, and soon, it may help save our lives. The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has devised a plan to provide a widespread broadband network, covering 20 million homes in the US. Even better? The plan includes provisions to extend broadband to medical facilities, even in most rural areas.
Connecting health care providers could allow a patient in one location to receive care from a specialist in another location via telecommuting. This process would not only benefit the patient by providing her the best care in an urgent manner regardless of distance, but it would also save money in transportation costs, and staffing costs for doctors.
On a basic level, implementation of a secure, nation-wide electronic health record system would make access to a patient's complete record available to health care providers across the nation, saving time and money. It would also help doctors to prescribe proper medication by determining drug interactions, previous health conditions, or alerting them to the patient's status regarding vaccinations or allergic reactions.
Combining teleconferencing with specialists and remote access to records is projected to save $1.2 billion, according the broadband plan, just by reducing costs needed to transport patients from institutional facilities and nursing homes to health care providers or specialists.
Also, according to one study, limiting interactions and allergies to drugs, as prevented by alerts from electronic records, will possibly save $371 billion for hospitals and $142 billion for medical professionals over 15 years.
Joel White, Executive Director of the Health IT Now! Coalition, an organization that educates others to the benefits of technology in the medical field, said in a press release, "We hope the National Broadband Plan serves as a driver for both innovation and connectivity, which are two key elements to lowering costs and improving patient care. Millions of Americans have discovered the life-saving benefits of their doctor's use of electronic medical records. We know health information technology will not reach its true potential without full access to broadband services. This is a critical patient priority."
The implementation of the broadband plan is only the start for the medical industry. Advancements are emerging in mobile access as well, with doctors and patients benefiting from remote access via laptops, smartphones, and other mobile devices.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Katie Leavitt
Quelle/Source: Tonic, 22.03.2010
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