Apple devices such as the Ipod Touch and Iphone are known for their amazing app for everything. Nowadays doctors are using the apps to look up medicine dosage, frequency, and even to spell.
In a world where everything is digitized, the doctors were asked if they felt that today's doctors have a crutch with so much information at their fingertips? Dr. Lylla Fyyaz talks about how advantageous apple's apps have been to her.
89 % of hospitals are using the electronic lab results, which is faster and more immediate access to patient's labs. Article, "New Hospital Information Technology: Is it Helping to Improve Quality" held that new IT has "enormous potential to propel the health care system to higher quality" (Issue Brief 2006).
A nurse is asked if she likes the idea of electronic medical records, and she answers that she definitely sees the benefit. But, her only dilemma is that the less technologically savvy people will initially have a hard time adjusting to the new technology.
A secretary was asked about her feelings about a computerized medical records system, which she believes is a great idea.
While both the nurse and secretary agree that the computerized medical records is a good idea, the nurse is the only one who sees a disadvantage for those less inclined with technology. Perhaps, this is because the nurse usually has minimal contact with technology except that of medical instruments. On the other hand, the secretary often uses the computer and by profession is more inclined to work with computer technology. The secretary seems to benefit the most from computerized medical records when compared to the nurse to has minimal contact with the records.
Today, hospitals are using six types of health IT, specifically those that collect, store, retrieve, and transfer clinical information electronically (Issue Brief). Physician order entry is least common in hospitals, while the use of electronic lab results is most common.
However, what steals all the shine is the new phone applications that can do just about anything. There are apps that can take your blood pressure. Physician job recruitment firm, Jackson and Coker, conducted a study that shows that 80% of doctors use smart phones and apps in everyday medical use. These apps are all the rave, and are most used by emergency room physicians. The fast and efficient use of smartphones’ features enables doctors to search medication dosage, symptoms, side effects, etc.
Hospitals are successfully moving from the laptop to tablets and smartphones. Phone apps are growing with the smartphone popularity. In 2012, there will be 13,000 medical apps alone available for those in the medical field.
14% of doctors account for those who are up to date with the latest trends medicine. But, with the prevalence of smartphones this number will increase as doctors have the information available to them almost instantaneously.
Cloud computing is another new innovation that is beneficial to doctors and ensures faster and more organized keeping of medical records. With cloud computing, doctors are able to write progress notes on a patient on their tablet and it would automatically go to the hospital network’s database and into that patient’s electronic chart. The same would go for doctors using their smartphones; the information automatically connects to the other computers within the network.
The most important benefits from new IT and other technological advances in medicine is the quality of care for patients. Technology is helping to reduce medical error that is caused by human mistakes. The computerized systems lead to less patient errors, flagging of abnormal lab results, better record keeping, and legible writing.
The new technology poses many questions. What will become of secretaries? With the new technology and computerized medical records, certainly someone will be out of a job. Also, if secretaries are the ones who transcribe orders, what will happen when they no longer have to transcribe orders? Many have said that the medical secretary is at a crossroads. Their futures are unclear, but the secretary will most like adapt to the new technology, taking on different responsibilities. Let’s face it, computers cannot answer the phones themselves, and some duties computers cannot do.
