Using IT to change the Health Care System

The possibility of revolutionizing the Health Care System using information Technology is exciting, and I hope I live long enough to see it reach its full potential. I've blogged a lot about the concept of patients using the internet to help them take more control over their own health care. But, there are also provider-based technologies that will increasingly become available and also will improve the care system.

At eDoc, we've recently undertaken several project that, I hope, will be emulated or duplicated widely to improve the efficiency and quality and reduce the cost of health care. Briefly, these projects are:

1. Providing eDoc services to all Medicaid patients in the state of Arkansas (this project is slated to start in July of this year).
2. Providing a secure, online, web-based consultation portal for physicians in Arkansas to consult with a physician at the University of Arkansas about a problem patient.
3. Providing patients being discharged from the hospital with a card that gives them the URL to connect with physicians to ask questions about their hospitalization.
4. Providing a secure, web based portal for patients in the outpatient clinics at the university to contact the office and renew prescriptions, request appointments, receive lab results or ask clinical questions.

Broad use of these technologies thoughout the US will undoubtedly greatly reduce health care costs and improve patients' access to the health care system. By using online services like this, patients should never have to go into the office to see their doctor unless they have to have blood work, a physical exam, an imaging procedure, or some other procedure.

Viva the e patient revolution!!