No business wants to throw away time and money, especially because of a system that can be upgraded. In the healthcare industry, for example, it would seem that by now every practice would have rolled out the latest technology to handle the newest communication devices. However, a new report suggests that not only is that not the case, but costs are simply too prohibitive for most practices to make the attempt.
According to a recent survey of 577 healthcare and IT professionals in the U.S. by the Ponemon Institute, the use of outdated technology is costing physicians time and hospitals billions of dollars. Physicians reported spending 55 percent of their day handling communication and collaboration with other professionals, and old technology is making it more difficult than it should be.
The study estimates that due to lengthy discharge processes and costs, the medical industry loses $3.189 billion annually. That is tacked on to $5 billion per year that is lost through decreased doctor productivity and the use of outdated devices like pagers instead of smartphones and tablets.
Clinicians said they waste an average of 46 minutes every day because of their dependency outdated technologies. This happens because pagers are inefficient, lack of Wi-Fi availability, inadequacy of email, personal devices are not allowed to be used, among other things. Using text messaging during the discharge process could cut the process by an estimated 50 minutes.
This is why many medical facilities are looking toward iPad deployment as a way to upgrade their technology while improving overall communication. By partnering with an IT consultant who is familiar with these devices and the infrastructure needed to support them, the possibility of success grows substantially.
