Examining the Influence of Information Technology on Modern Health Care

Abstract

Health care costs continue to rise at a level that far exceeds the rate of inflation. IT will be necessary in the computation and organization of complex algorithms presented in bundled payments and other initiatives. Currently in health care, a patient's medical history is not easily accessible by physicians and other medical personnel. IT can play the pivotal role in rectifying this problem in tracking the record in a universally designed environment. Advanced databases are needed to integrate facilities within health care systems. This chapter is to explore the current framework of Information Technology in the U.S. health care industry and to examine the topic covering the following areas: (a) IT's influence on the Affordable Care Act, (b) the emergence of the Electronic Health Record (EHR), also known as the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), and (c) the integration of databases across health care organizations through advanced systems like Epic.