Many industries have used data mining practices in order to gain superior insight into their consumers and engage in targeted practices with enhanced precision. Historically though, much of this information that would have been of use in the healthcare sector often was trapped within a sea of paper documents and poor handwriting, negating its use for predictive analytics.
As such, a recent article published by ChicagoBusiness.com suggests that because many medical practices have been slow to transition information from hard-to-manipulate paper documents into electronic medical records software, those that are pioneering technology are at a unique advantage.
As such, Illinois facilities such as Northwestern Memorial Hospital, NorthShore University HealthSystem and Northwestern Memorial Faculty Foundation that were early investors in healthcare IT practices, are positioned to make innovative breakthroughs in preventive patient care.
For example, as the article mentions, by mining a significant volume of data, the physicians at the above-mentioned facilities have successfully launched a variety of sophisticated projects including the identification of those patients who are more likely to carry Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is difficult to treat with antibiotics.
Consequently, testing can be done on a far more targeted segment of the facility's population, saving what Jonathan Silverstein – head of NorthShore University HealthSystem – estimates to be roughly $500,000 per year.
Considering the superior patient care and financial savings being generated through EMR-based analytics, it would be wise for small facility managers to transition to these healthcare IT practices by partnering with a medical technology consulting company. These professionals can not only help implement a useful product suite with EMR, electronic billing and eprescribing software, but also train staff to ensure the system is being used to its full potential.
Microwize Technology is a leading healthcare IT consultant offering products such as electronic medical records software and medical billing software from top providers like Allscripts and McKesson, including McKesson's Medisoft, Lytec and Practice Choice products.