Implementing New Technologies In Healthcare
Evaluate healthcare information technology systems to ensure optimal performance outcomes in business and clinical processes.
Scenario
Technology has revolutionized healthcare significantly in recent years. As technology continues to evolve, healthcare leaders are focused on ways in which new technologies can be leveraged to improve costs, access, and quality of care.
You are the associate consultant for a health quality management organization. Your organization advises health service providers on ways to improve quality and safety in the delivery of care. You have been asked by the senior consultant to conduct research on a new technology that has the capacity to positively impact healthcare delivery. Use your research to write an executive summary detailing your findings regarding the technology.
Examples of technologies that have the potential to change healthcare and its delivery include:
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)
Centralized monitoring of hospital patients
Chatbots
Electronic underwear that prevents bedsores
Disinfectant lightbulbs
Instructions
Create an executive summary in which you discuss the following:
Identify a new or emerging technology that may significantly improve quality, increase access to care, and/or reduce long-term costs.
Discuss the global implications of implementing the selected technology.
Explain how the new technology may result in improved outcomes and increased efficiency.
Describe potential challenges to implementing the technology and proposed solutions to those challenges.
Technology: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Potential Impact: Improve quality, increase access to care, and reduce long-term costs
Global Implications: AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery around the world. AI-powered systems can be used to diagnose diseases, develop personalized treatment plans, and monitor patients remotely. This could lead to improved outcomes for patients, reduced costs, and increased access to care in underserved areas.
How AI Can Improve Outcomes and Efficiency: AI can improve outcomes and efficiency in healthcare in a number of ways. For example, AI can be used to:
- Diagnose diseases more accurately and quickly. AI-powered systems can analyze large amounts of medical data to identify patterns that may be missed by human doctors. This can lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis, which can improve patient outcomes.
- Develop personalized treatment plans. AI can be used to develop personalized treatment plans that take into account a patient's individual medical history, risk factors, and preferences. This can lead to more effective treatment and better outcomes for patients.
- Monitor patients remotely. AI-powered systems can be used to monitor patients remotely, which can help to reduce the need for hospitalization and improve patient quality of life. For example, AI-powered systems can be used to monitor patients' vital signs, blood sugar levels, and activity levels.
- Cost: AI-powered systems can be expensive to develop and implement.
- Data privacy and security: AI systems rely on large amounts of data, which raises concerns about data privacy and security.
- Lack of clinical validation: Many AI-powered systems have not been clinically validated, which means that their safety and efficacy have not been fully established.
- Resistance from healthcare professionals: Some healthcare professionals may be resistant to adopting AI, fearing that it will replace their jobs.
- Government funding: Governments can provide funding for the development and implementation of AI-powered healthcare systems.
- Strong data privacy and security measures: AI-powered healthcare systems should be designed with strong data privacy and security measures in place.
- Clinical validation: AI-powered healthcare systems should be clinically validated before they are widely adopted.
- Education and training: Healthcare professionals should be educated and trained on how to use AI-powered systems effectively.