Introducing eHealthcare Patient Management Without Walls
Monday, 23 May 2011
The healthcare ecosystem is changing. The confluence of several critical factors is necessitating a comprehensive re-evaluation of healthcare systems and the delivery of care. Established healthcare systems in developed countries will need to adjust to address the predicted chronic disease epidemics and the demands of an aging population. In developing systems, healthcare modernization is a priority as we witness a rising prevalence of 'Western' diseases.
The explosion of data and associated implications for data management will also need to be tackled. These exacting challenges will also create exciting opportunities to build healthcare systems of the future that are underpinned by enabling technology. This eHealthcare environment will focus on patient-centric systems that reduce complexity, improve efficiency, and provide better patient outcomes.
The transition towards eHealthcare, a vision of personalized healthcare that encompasses everything from patient empowerment to having a single slice-through view of the patient, will require a move away from an acute delivery platform to one that will focus more on managing the patient for life. This is a move towards healthcare 'without walls', where a connected healthcare delivery platform will be supported by greater use of patient-controlled data, the leveraging of health data through analytics, and empowered patient and physician communities. The adoption of disruptive technologies will also move treatment and patient management beyond the confines of the traditional institution. Increasing use of analytics layered over disparate data sources will help to transform the data mountain into actionable information. These are some of the exciting themes explored in eHealthcare - Patient Management Without Walls.
Thoughts, comments, news, and reflections about healthcare IT from Microsoft's worldwide health senior director Bill Crounse, MD, on how information technology can improve healthcare delivery and services around the world.
The healthcare ecosystem is changing. The confluence of several critical factors is necessitating a comprehensive re-evaluation of healthcare systems and the delivery of care. Established healthcare systems in developed countries will need to adjust to address the predicted chronic disease epidemics and the demands of an aging population. In developing systems, healthcare modernization is a priority as we witness a rising prevalence of 'Western' diseases.
The explosion of data and associated implications for data management will also need to be tackled. These exacting challenges will also create exciting opportunities to build healthcare systems of the future that are underpinned by enabling technology. This eHealthcare environment will focus on patient-centric systems that reduce complexity, improve efficiency, and provide better patient outcomes.
