Healthcare executives are often reminded of how valuable technology is to their organization when they look around and see the impact it has on patient care.
Unfortunately, not all technology initiatives undertaken by hospitals deliver the desired results, which can leave many questioning what is and isn't worth their investment.
Today's successful executives rely on their experience and perspective to determine which technologies are worth considering and which are just hype.
Looking at current technology trends and the state of the market, some IT executives have already placed their bets on key technologies that they consider indispensable for preparing their health IT strategy for the future and delivering tangible results for their staff and patients.
IT leadership in hospitals usually focuses on aligning their IT initiatives with the strategies and objectives of their organization
Their role puts them front and center in terms of deciding or influencing which technology initiatives are put on the roadmap and adopted by the organization. However, there are always risks with new technologies, and CIOs and CMIOs are concerned about maintaining a balance when it comes to adopting a technology trend that is considered too new.
In many cases, risk brings great reward, and that's a bet that some executives are willing to make on technology. For executives defining what their technology roadmap should include, these three technologies and components are essential to any health IT strategy.
1. A shift from on-premise to cloud-based services
There are several reasons why the cloud is here to stay and will play a key role in a hospital's health IT strategy.
As cloud providers introduce more services, IT departments need to respond quickly and scale their infrastructure to meet the demand for computing services.
Cloud providers have proven that they can offer this flexibility and speed while keeping costs down. As a result, cloud services continue to be an area where hospitals will continue their journey with their infrastructure. This is the result of the ROI, flexibility and ease of management of cloud-based services replacing on-premise services.
CIOs are also more confident in the security protections that today's cloud service providers offer to protect healthcare data. With a pay-as-you-go model, healthcare organizations can pay for what they use and reduce infrastructure costs at the same time.
This move to the cloud also allows IT staff to spend more time improving systems and implementing new beneficial services, while spending less time maintaining traditional infrastructure.
2. Advanced analytics and AI to support hospital goals
Artificial intelligence, natural language processing and machine learning have forever changed the way we view data and interact with systems.
Today, everyone is experiencing the results of AI in everything we interact with, from personal assistants at home helping with everyday tasks to using the technology to detect abnormalities in clinical images and hard-to-detect diseases.
The technology has matured significantly in the last decade due to the computing power available and the advances in algorithms and data available in the health area.
AI is also becoming a key differentiator for some health systems that have embraced the technology from the outset and are differentiating themselves by applying its capabilities to patient care in various ways.
CIOs recognize that it is in their interest to evaluate the different intelligence and analysis services from which they can benefit and decide which components they can include in their roadmap.
3. IoT and connected devices are becoming a new standard
The explosion of fitness trackers and wearables has forced hospitals to consider ways to update and define how patient-generated data can also be captured.
In parallel, the increase in IoT adoption is also encouraging CIOs to look for ways to capture other data in their facilities. This new push for data capture using small devices is proving to support a number of important healthcare initiatives around remote patient monitoring and engagement.
As part of their long-term health IT strategy, CIOs will need to ensure that they can use wearables and IoT to connect with patients and track relevant data through different sensors.
With the constant changes seen in the technology landscape and the continuous flow of products and services coming into focus, many CIOs face the challenge of defining which technologies will add value to patient care and support the hospital's goals, and which are just a distraction.
The list above offers an outline of the technology trends that many CIOs are actively engaged in or planning, but this shouldn't stop them from defining their own initiatives that they consider appropriate for their organization.
About Conversys
Conversys IT Solutions is a provider of Information and Communication Technology services and solutions operating throughout Brazil.
With a highly qualified technical and commercial team and a network of partners that includes the main global technology manufacturers, Conversys IT Solutions is able to deliver customized IT and Telecom Infrastructure solutions to clients.
We invest in our employees and partners and strive for a long-lasting relationship with our clients, because we believe that this is how we gain the skills and knowledge we need to innovate and generate value for the businesses in which we operate.
