Challenges for Health Information Technology

Information technology (IT) can provide valuable tools for solving many of the problems that beset America's health-care infrastructure. There are several challenges that must be overcome before IT can make a major difference in health care. Issues of cost, security and access delay full implementation of health-care IT. Communication between hospitals, doctors and pharmacies must be quick and secure. Databases containing patient treatment records and other medical documents must be easily accessed by health-care professionals without infringing on the patient's privacy.

Cost

• Implementing IT tools can be expensive.

  A major challenge to implementing information technology in health-care settings is cost. The computers and software needed to implement computerized order entry and electronic medical records programs are expensive to purchase and maintain as is the cost of hiring and training the technicians who operate them. There are millions of medical records in existence. The process for converting existing paper documents into digital form and then securely disposing of the originals is expensive and time consuming but necessary for implementing health-care IT.

Access

• One solution to access is carrying your personal health records with you.

  Electronic access to personal health records and electronic medical records can do much to improve the quality of patient care by eliminating errors and mistakes due to lack of up-to-date information. Doctors and health-care professionals with easy access to up-to-date patient records can provide better treatment with less chance of errors in diagnosis or prescription. Because most health-care systems operate locally, access to personal health records by physicians and other locations is difficult or nonexistent. If you become sick or injured while traveling, you might not receive the best treatment simply because health-care professionals in that area would not have access to your records. Personal health records stored on a portable device and online systems similar to the VistA program employed by the Veteran's Administration (VA) are two possible solutions to the problem.

Software Compatibility

• Often the software used by providers can't access the systems used by other providers.

  Because software being used by health-care providers is sold by many different vendors, compatibility issues often prevent quick and secure sharing of data, according to the University of Illinois. The software used for implementing electronic medical records is sold by many different vendors. This creates a problem because many of the programs in use are not compatible with the software being used by other health-care professionals.

Security

• Secure Internet protocols protect electronic medical records from unwanted access.

  Doctor-patient confidentiality is a cornerstone of modern medical practice. The conflict between patient's privacy rights and the need for easy nationwide access to medical records is another barrier delaying the full implementation of IT in health care. Patients have the right to decide when and how their medical records are accessed, and quality care demands quick access to up-to-date patient records. Ensuring that patient confidentiality is preserved without hindering access to information by health-care professionals is a challenge that is being met with the use of secure Internet data transfer programming similar to the software used to encrypt and protect financial transactions online, according to the University of Northern Iowa.