Healthcare IT

To start the year off on the right foot, small medical facilities and private physicians should be sure to back up their essential data.

With the increase of technology in the medical industry only expected to continue as government incentives for electronic medical records software encourage doctors to adopt IT, healthcare IT professionals may need to take a bigger role when it comes to the abuse of these resources.

A new study suggests that technology could play a role in reducing the number of individuals who need to pursue additional medical care after a visit to a healthcare facility.

A December report by the Ponemon Institute found that data breaches are becoming increasingly common in the healthcare industry, with nearly a third of all organizations reporting a breach in 2011.

After applying the lessons of this business strategy tool to problems with patient care, Mercy St. Vincent’s, an Ohio-based medical center found that it was able to improve its quality by the more traditional metrics it initially turned away from.

Even though doctors have been transitioning to electronic medical records software and eprescribing tools recently, many experts say that patients are the ones who are more quickly adapting to the use of new technology for their medical care.

Over the past few years, studies have shown that while many patients are embracing new medical technology that could allow them to improve their health, some doctors have been hesitant to make similar upgrades to their facilities.

According to a new report by the Ponemon Institute – a Michigan-based research group, the U.S. healthcare industry could be losing an average of more than $6 billion annually due to data breaches.

In total, the researchers found that more than 50 percent of community pharmacies were receiving less than 15 percent of these documents electronically.

While the managers of small medical facilities were likely aware of the fact that healthcare IT workers are playing an increasingly large part in the industry’s day-to-day operations, a new report indicated that certain professional positions are also increasing in stature.