Technology has become an integral part of medicine today. The right technology used the right way will increase efficiency, reduces costs, and improve quality. The main advantage of technology is that it can facilitate communication between clinicians, enhance medication safety, increase access to medical information, reduce potential medication errors and encourage patient-centered care (Astier et al., 2020). Preventable patient harm has been the main cause of hospital adverse events, including hospital-acquired infections, which are one of the most burdensome issues. Technology is essential in healthcare since effective clinical decision-making relies on access to up-to-date patient information, yet healthcare providers struggle with access to complete patient records (Acet et al., 2018). Technology is critical because it enhances continuity of care which increases patient satisfaction. Innovative technological solutions provide a way to offer continuity of care.
Existing technology has the potential to improve patient safety through introducing medication alerts, improved diagnostic, clinical reminders, and consultation reports. Technology also ensures that there is complete availability of patient data. Medical alerts can ensure adherence to guidelines. Therefore, there is improved reporting designed to reduce variation in clinical practice, conduct quality assurances and optimize care for common conditions. The interoperability of technology can allow the exchange of patient information; therefore, achieving this goal may remain elusive (Acet et al., 2018). The interoperability of electronic systems is suboptimal since hospitals operate in functional, organizational, and technological siloes that share patient data between departments in a single hospital. An institution’s entire staff must prioritize patient safety as part of a multidisciplinary approach to strengthen patient safety, and patients must be given the power to anticipate and demand advancement (Astier et al., 2020). Medical technology companies can assist with this by working together to develop intuitive, useful, and customizable products.
Aceto, G., Persico, V., & Pescapé, A. (2018). The role of Information and Communication Technologies in healthcare: taxonomies, perspectives, and challenges. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 107, 125-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnca.2018.02.008
Astier, A., Carlet, J., Hoppe-Tichy, T., Jacklin, A., Jeanes, A., McManus, S., & Fitzpatrick, R. (2020). What is the role of technology in improving patient safety? A French, German, and UK healthcare professional perspective. Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management, 25(6), 219-224. https://doi.org/10.1177/2516043520975661
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