When it comes to EMR optimization, healthcare providers lack the infrastructure to take advantage of FutureCare-enabling technologies (cloud, Big Data, mobile, and social).
96 percent of healthcare organizations say their infrastructure is not fully prepared for the evolution of their EMR today, according to a new study from EMC and MeriTalk. The report explores how FutureCare-enabling technologies (cloud, Big Data, mobile, and social) are driving profound change and how deployment of these tools can enhance EMR optimization for improved patient care coordination. The report finds that in order to optimize the EMR and ensure the infrastructure can support further growth, health IT leaders say they will enhance security systems (47 percent), improve application performance (38 percent), invest in cloud solutions (31 percent), and modernize backup and recovery solutions (31 percent).
Big Data
50 percent saying Big Data is helping them to reduce readmissions and track and evaluate patient outcomes more effectively. Providers are also using Big Data to conduct cost/benefit analysis to reduce project risk (46 percent), manage clinical and IT staffing levels (38 percent), and prescribe preventative care (24 percent).
Cloud
Two-thirds of healthcare providers run EMR applications in the cloud, with the majority currently using private cloud models (49 percent), followed by hybrid and public clouds (35 percent).
Mobile
Fifty-seven percent of health IT leaders say mobile has become an important tool in viewing real-time patient information as caregivers work toward making more informed patient care decisions. Additional mobile use cases include clinical notifications (46 percent), ePrescribing (41 percent), and patient communication and reminders (38 percent).
Social
Fifty-four percent of organizations are also using social in conjunction with their EMR to facilitate secure collaboration; 52 percent are communicating with patients and sending medication/follow up reminders; and 31 percent are collecting data from wearable technology.
FutureCare Technology Investments
Cloud, Big Data, mobile, and social technologies impact business and clinical workflows by improving data access, enhancing patient care, and reducing costs. To reap these benefits, health IT leaders expect 2015 IT spending to increase for all four areas – cloud, Big Data, mobile, and social. As a result of FutureCare technology investments, U.S. hospitals expect to save billions in annual IT spending. By 2016, healthcare providers anticipate:
- Big Data can help them save 21 percent of their annual IT budget, or $7.2B
- Cloud can help them save 20 percent of their annual IT budget, or $6.9B
- Mobile can help them save 16 percent of their annual IT budget, or $5.5B
- Social can help them save 11 percent of their annual IT budget, or $3.8B
Working within their IT budget constraints, healthcare providers will prioritize areas of focus based on hospital and Integrated Delivery Network (IDN) deployment status and goals.
Sponsored by EMC Corporation, the study is based on an online survey of 151 hospital IT decision makers, conducted in August 2014. The report has a margin of error of 7.95 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
