Technology

Medicine's role is to entertain us, while Nature takes its course.
- Voltaire

Sometimes hard to believe, but this sobering indictment of the medical profession by an 18th century philosopher remains true even today. Indeed, the Institute of Medicine has suggested that while the last century has produced 30 years of improved life expectancy, less than five years can be attributed to the impact of technology.

The role of technology in advancing the strategic vision of a healthcare enterprise has officially moved to center stage. For some healthcare organizations, advanced technology serves as the most critical form of competitive advantage on which the organization relies. Confounding the ability to leverage technology, however, is that the hype and excitement of some technologies conceal the practical value of others.

How can healthcare and pharmaceutical managers make intelligent technology investments in an environment with a shrinking and unforgiving margin for error?

Creative Healthcare offers the following resources to show the way.

• Instant gratification takes too long. And this is one reason why "Lean" methodologies have become such a popular complement to Six Sigma and other PI efforts. IT suppliers should recognize the opportunities from this movement, described in this February 2006 article from Managed Healthcare Executive.
• Link to Learn. E-learning initiatives, enhanced by traditional classroom tools, can help your ROI make the grade.
• "A rose by any other name..." is still a rose, or so the saying goes. This certainly holds true for the elusive Electronic Medical Record (EMR) , known also as the Computerized Patient Record (CPR), the Electronic Health Record (EHR), and by countless other descriptions. Although as idealized as the rose, it remains an ideal in search of a prototype. This article from Managed Healthcare Executive provides a sensible framework for healthcare organizations determined to accelerate their transition to the true and complete digitization of medical records.
• The New Rules of Technology ROI The healthcare industry, once determined to use narrow quantitative metrics in evaluating the return on investment from technology, has slowly evolved toward more subjective and strategic oriented measures in determining the direction of their technology investments. Read more about it in the cover story to Managed Healthcare's August 2000 issue.
• E-rasing obstacles to effective clinical trials is made possible by new technology tools and web-based resources. CHC managing partner Ian R. Lazarus provides this review of current technology options in the September 2001 issue of Pharmaceutical Executive.
• "Plastic or Paper?" Clinical Research Organizations still operate in a paper-based environment, but this will change as the industry comes under increasing pressure to support the necessary growth trajectories of their pharma clients. More on this in the July 2001 issue of Pharmaceutical Executive.
• Learn About Opportunities around the World for US-based Technology Solutions A case study in European Managed Health Care that could revolutionize the way healthcare services are delivered around the world
• CRM & Medical Call Center Programs Revolutionize Healthcare Delivery CRM & Medical Call Center Programs deliver "Personal Health Management" to consumers, lowering healthcare costs and adding value
• Personal Health Management from the Consumer's Perspective Learn why consumers will continue to drive innovation in healthcare delivery, particularly the trend we call "Personal Health Management"