For a long time now it has become clear that health is a substantial economic factor. Effective care stands in direct relationship with the productivity of the national economy and stability of the social support systems. It seems that the significance of the role played by information and telecommunication technology (ITK) in health economy is not yet clear to many. It is the central nervous system of the health system, the interface between physician and patient - and is often even neglected by those involved.
Technology can help to improve the quality of the treatment. Time saved by such things as automated administrative procedures, networked supply chains and more quickly available laboratory data can be invested in the patient. This prevents assembly line treatment in hospitals as feared by critics.  

On the contrary: At last, the patient can become the focal point. The use of modern ITK enables the physician to individualize his treatment of the patients, possibly via a mobile visit with a tablet PC. Patients can thus be directly informed as to the status of their treatment at the bedside as is already possible in the Asklepios clinics in Hamburg thanks to Microsoft software. However, only very few hospitals in Germany have put this idea into practice as yet. The circle of the open-minded is still too small.  Even though the advantages are absolutely clear, most health companies have not yet realized the correct significance of ITK.

In order to finally bring about a breakthrough of technology in the health sector, the following requirements can be derived from other industries:
First of all an integrated ITK strategy over a period of three to five years is important. The aim must be to increase the quality of treatment and to bring the share of operating costs for ITK to below 40 % of the ITK budget by digitalization, standardization and harmonization. This leaves room for investment. The strategy must be to focus on the entire care chain and not to stop at the company boundaries.
A further step is the creation of a CIO department in the management. This must not only exist on paper. The CIO must have budget responsibility and decision competence.  But above all: It must be able to make decisions eye to eye with the medically responsible managers. 
Furthermore, the sectors of telecommunication, information technology and technical devices must be organizationally united. Only this way can synergy effects resulting from technology actually be realized. These effects enable cost and time saving and lead to a harmonization of the ITK strategy. 

In short: ITK must become a management issue. It has a decisive influence on the competitive ability of a company in health economy.  If is therefore a part of the company value and not merely a cost factor.  And one person particularly benefits from that: the patient.

Jens Dommel, Head of the Business Sector Health Economics at Microsoft Germany

Source: Financial Times Deutschland