Maya Wright-Article Critique 1

The article I read, "New Study of Physicians Using Health Information Technology in Hospitals Finds Link to Fewer Deaths, Fewer Complications, and Lower Costs", confirmed that the use of health IT in hospital settings resulted in better results of patients being treated in hospitals. These conclusions were based on a series of surveys given to 41 physicians in the state of Texas.
I believe health IT such as order entry, clinical decision support, electronic notes and records, and automated test results all contributed to fewer deaths, fewer complications and lower costs. I believe fewer deaths and complications was a direct result of electronic notes and records in addition to automated test results. Having the technical capability of electronic notes significantly decreases the chance that a note will be misread as a result of someone's handwriting or will be misplaced or lost if there were only a paper trail. The same goes for records, in my opinion. Automated test results are also a technological advantage that can scientifically and precisely determine the result of a patient's test without having to be determined by humans alone. This also saves doctor's time, which allows them to see to their patients and get more things accomplished in the same amount of time. Health IT advantages such as this make it possible for fewer complications and deaths in hospitals that utilize such systems. Having the ability to accomplish more at once not only benefits the patients, but the doctors too. Saving money ultimately saves time. Having order entry readily available and being able have a quicker way of tracking inventory (in-house SKU scanners), allows the hospitals to better place orders and identify patterns of their own buying that makes it easier to determine when certain supplies are expected to run low.

None of this would be possible without health IT software and systems; all of which work together to reduce medical errors, optimize workflow, etc. The most important aspect being reduced medical errors. Health IT systems use large databases that can retain total patient medical histories, and use queries to determine what medication, treatment, or time frame of treatment would work best for that particular patient. These systems may also be synced with outside databases containing insurance coverage information, etc.

I believe that this type of technology is not new, but has recently been applied to the health field and is being used in as many ways as hospitals find suitable today. Having the ability to access all of a patient's information from a database with a user-friendly interface is very convenient and in some cases, necessary. For example, any unconscious patient with no form on communication and only having an identification card can benefit greatly from having a doctor pull their medical history in an instant and know how to properly go about treating the patient.