EXCERPT:
Hospitals and other healthcare providers face the daunting challenge of managing information. As patient records, diagnostic information, and even the operating theater increasingly rely on networked electronics, the amount of data that must be created, transmitted, managed, and stored has grown dramatically. In addition, regulations requiring high levels of data security to protect patient privacy add an additional layer of complexity to information management.
Network Drivers in Medical Applications
Digital Connectivity
Medical equipment is becoming more and more digital. A clear example is the X-ray, now both filmless and digital. One benefit of this digitalization is the ability of equipment to be interconnected and IP networked so information can be moved and shared. An X-ray film is discrete; a digital X-ray can be transmitted to any number of other pieces of equipment, from the radiology department computer to locations anywhere in the world. Soon, nearly everything that happens in a hospital will require a network connection.
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)
While the vast majority of medical recordkeeping is already computerized, the push for universal and uniform records is viewed as an important step to cost control and better patient care. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) initiative has a goal of creating a single digital structure for all medical records to ensure compatibility in creating and accessing patient records. As EMRs contain a single repository for a patient’s complete medical history, storage requirements grow.
