The advent of new technologies and contemporary health care policies and delivery established an advanced health system to provide high-quality care at reduced costs. Incorporation of mobile computing technology and adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems into clinical settings ensures important patient information is captured. Therefore, this paper highlights technological practices that enhance patient care and outcomes.
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 initiated the adoption of EHRs to record patient information such as lab test results and pharmacy prescriptions. For instance, the Health Maintenance Organization Research Network Virtual Data Warehouse Project used EHR data to demonstrate a link between childhood obesity and hyperglycemia in pregnant women (Hersh et al., 2013). Similarly, the organization was able to apply risk identification methods to records from various health care institutions in the United States. In this regard, EHRs systems have demonstrated the ability to validate existing research results and generate new findings.
Mobile computing devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and medical application tools have increased access to patient care tools that are used in decision making hence better patient outcomes. (Ventola, 2014) For example, health care professionals use PDAs to record medical information, schedule their surgery and patient care processes thus ensuring time management. Likewise, specialized application programs like the Mobile MIM for iPad and iPhone allows remote viewing of x-rays and imaging scans when users cannot access imaging workstations. Such mobile application encourages telemedicine thus reducing health care visits and promises reduced health care costs (Lupton, 2013).
In brief, technological advancements in health information technology has recognized a high-quality care environment to enhance patient care outcomes. The adoption of EHRs and mobile application programs to record patient information and evaluate diagnosis has improved patient care.
