Introduction to Medical Technologies
Technology is an imperative aspect of society since the advent of the industrial revolution. One of the areas which have immensely benefited from the arrival of advanced technologies is the healthcare industry. For example, state-of-the-art equipment is available for improving patient care with the goal of enhancing the quality of life. Moreover, technology is significant because it increases patient access with the introduction of telemedicine and remote monitoring (Jacques & Waston, 2017). Technology has also enabled healthcare practitioners to decrease instances of medical errors, ultimately leading to improved patient care across various cultures.
Determining the Right Technologies to Use
A health care manager should have specific criteria for evaluating the right technology to use. In particular, the cost of maintaining these technologies should be reasonable and within the current budget of a clinic, hospital, or any other medical organization. Moreover, the device or software should also provide appropriate and relevant features that meet the hospitals’ requirements (Jacques & Waston, 2017). However, if such elements are not sufficient, the gaps can be filled through configuration. Since the user-friendliness of a device or software is imperative, a healthcare manager should ensure that the user-interface and user-experience of the technology can be easily understood. Lastly, the cost of installation should be relatively low as it also provides the security of patient or staff data.
Determining if it Integrates with Existing Technologies
Integrating new technologies with the existing systems is often a challenge for healthcare organizations. Therefore, it is recommended that they should be investigated to consider if current problems will be solved. Moreover, assembling an implementation team is imperative in determining if the technology will integrate with the existing infrastructure. Having a pilot program can also be effective in assessing the feasibility of implementing medical technologies. In addition, employees should be trained to facilitate the experimental trial, thereby giving the healthcare manager a chance to determine the integration process (Jacques & Waston, 2017). Lastly, information technology (IT) experts can consider launching the new technology to investigate its flexibility with existing tools.
Another significant step in determining if a medical technology can integrate with existing infrastructure is to determine the compatibility of new equipment or software. Compatibility and portability testing will allow professionals to evaluate the likeliness of implementing the latest technology and successfully integrating it with the current infrastructure. Moreover, a healthcare manager can conduct a consensus test to explore the chances of the workers acknowledging the new technology. Medical institutions should have the required resources while also revamping current software to facilitate smooth IT integration (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). Lastly, the healthcare manager should consider determining if workers can incorporate new capabilities to supplement the integration process.
Determining if the System is Intuitive or User Friendly
A user-friendly technology should have the following characteristics. New technologies should be easy to install, thereby making the entire process simple and well documented. Moreover, intuitive software should have auto-update features where the user is excluded from constantly checking for updates (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). In addition, such software should come with a simple Graphical User Interface allowing the user to customize it whenever they want. The user-friendliness of technology is also based on its efficiency and effectiveness. It should be designed for seamless interaction with current systems (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). Furthermore, an intuitive technology should be visually appealing and easy-to-navigate with pleasant experiences. Lastly, its installation process should be easy and not time-consuming, and complex.
A user-friendly software does not require third-party applications. The latter refers to anti-spyware and other security tools used for data protection. Additionally, a user should also find it easy to contact its technical team for IT support. However, if the technology does not offer anything as a means of troubleshooting, the end-user will solve in other ways (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). Intuitive technology adheres to industry standards for quality. Therefore, software applications should meet business benchmarks for quality of service (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). In addition, users should find the process of error handling easy as the system should also be responsive. Lastly, an intuitive software should be easily maintained.
Determining the Costs of the Technology and System
Healthcare managers can also develop a criterion for determining the costs of healthcare technology. For example, technology should help in lowering the cost of treating patients. However, in some scenarios, patients’ treatment costs are increased due to the presence of robotic surgeries and other advanced technologies. In addition, technology may also become disadvantageous if it shows the wrong results of patient condition (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). Furthermore, some healthcare databases may not show patient information, thereby leading to delays and unnecessary inconveniences (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). Lastly, a healthcare manager should ensure machines and gadgets are properly maintained to avoid malfunction while also ensuring that they do not cause harm to patient cells and organs.
Determining the Benefits of the Technology and System
There is a criterion that healthcare managers can adopt in determining the benefits of technology. For example, appropriate technologies should help in minimizing the cost of healthcare operations. According to a survey, applicable technologies should help in shifting from paper to electronic records, thereby lowering costs by 3% (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). In addition, experts should be able to utilize such technologies in predicting epidemics. Appropriate technologies enhance the efficiency and quality of healthcare, thereby improving the quality of patients’ lives (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). Moreover, it should also be applied in developing new drugs and treatments while also improving lean management by minimizing wastes in hospitals. An appropriate example is in solving the problem of long queues in emergency departments.
Roles and Responsibilities as a Manager in Evaluating Healthcare Technology
A healthcare IT manager performs various functions in hospitals. For example, a managerial role involves supervising and developing IT infrastructure with the staffing group. It also incorporates testing the integrity and performance of different networks. Their operational part involves handling end-to-end IT operations. In addition, it comprises the installation and troubleshooting of network topologies. As a web master, the manager is in charge of updating the hospital’s connectivity and internet features (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). The manager also acts as a consultant and educator while working together with the hospital staff. Lastly, they are responsible for ensuring the security of healthcare networks and systems.
The healthcare manager can also participate in leadership activities. For example, they are in charge of leading the IT team in the medical institution, which involves collaborating software, hardware, and database professionals. Moreover, the manager also handles the needs of different specialists and the well-balanced functioning of the technology group (Busdicker & Upendra, 2017). Their vendor management role includes approving and handling IT suppliers and support agreements. In addition, their supplier relationship helps in obtaining low prices from vendors to facilitate cost-effectiveness (Jacques & Waston, 2017). Lastly, IT managers in the clinic helps in ensuring licensing laws in IT and software management are observed.
Data Sources Used in Evaluating the Effectiveness of Implemented Technology
Several data sources can be utilized by healthcare IT managers to evaluate the technology. For example, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), also referred to as the Obama Care, provides various stipulations on patient data privacy (Jacques & Waston, 2017). Moreover, United States federal data sources provide information related to patient data. Apart from these, healthcare managers can utilize data from surveys to accomplish the process of evaluating technologies. In addition, administrative and medical records can be utilized to access records tracking events and transactions between medical institutions and patients (Jacques & Waston, 2017). Lastly, peer-reviewed literature is vital in the evaluation process because they are verified sources of information. Examples include research of scholars, methodologies, and many other sources.
Conclusion
This paper has explored the role of technology in improving healthcare practices. For example, new technologies should be integrated with the existing systems, and therefore, the process should be a smooth transition. Healthcare managers should also be able to evaluate the user-friendliness of technology based on features such as installation, user-interface, navigation, and many more. New technologies also come with several pros and cons, as addressed in the presentation. In addition, the roles and responsibilities of the healthcare manager in regard to evaluating technology have been covered. Lastly, managers can utilize various data sources such as the HIPAA, peer-reviewed literature, medical records, and many more.
References
Busdicker, M., & Upendra, P. (2017). The role of healthcare technology management in facilitating medical device cybersecurity. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 51(6), 19-25.
Jacques, S., & Watson, A. (2017). Proactive vendor management for healthcare technology. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 51(2), 116-119.