The Advantages of Health Information Technology

Health Information Technology is becoming more prevalent every day. You see it being used in doctors' offices, hospitals, clinics, and dental offices. It connects doctors to hospitals, specialists to primary care physicians, and pharmacies to doctors. Although it is not yet in use everywhere, in the areas where it is being used Health Information Technology provides some significant advantages to health care providers and patients alike.

Availability of Information

• According to the Health Resources and Services Administration web site on Health Information Technology, one of the major advantages of health information technology (HIT) is that it immediately makes your health information to everyone who might need it. If the health care providers in your area use HIT, it means the hospital and your doctor both have access to the same information about you. If you should happen to be in an accident or suddenly become very ill and need immediate treatment in the emergency room, the hospital will be able to see what prescriptions you are taking, if you have diabetes or some other serious condition, or any other health-related information they need. If for any reason you cannot speak for yourself this could save your life.

Avoid Duplication

• These days it is very common for a person with a serious medical condition to be sent to several different doctors for treatment of the condition and related problems. Because each doctor may order tests to check for certain problems, if they don't have good communication you may end up having the same test more than once, but ordered by different doctors. With health information technology there is much less likelihood that you will have to repeat a test because one of your doctors didn't realize that you had recently had it. One aspect of HIT is that everything is entered into a computer system and all of your doctors can access the same information. A doctor doesn't need to order a CT scan if he can check the computer and see that you had one recently.

Costs

• When health care information is more organized and there is less duplication of testing and treatments, health care costs are less. Additionally, doctors' offices, hospitals, and clinics gain a major advantage and realize a significant cost savings through the use of health information technology, due to the change in how information is managed. There is no longer any need to keep paper charts, so nobody has to file them. There is also no further need for anyone to do medical transcription, as it is done directly by the doctors and nurses. Less work means less expense.