IT In Healthcare Is In Take Off Mode
Information Technology in healthcare is in the take off mode now in the country, according to R. Guru Moorthy, Executive Director of Karishma Software Limited. Intel, Lenovo and Karishma Software launched “Integrated Digital Hospitals”, an integrated IT solution package for small and medium-scale hospitals here on Saturday. Mr. Moorthy told that two reasons were critical for increasing the use of IT in healthcare: lack of adequate number of employable people was forcing hospitals to move towards information technology. Further, doctors wanted similar processes followed in hospitals. Now, a number of hospitals were talking about information technology and the need for integrated packages. Apart from information dissemination, IT helped in standardisation of processes. It enabled one to work in a “connected environment”. Talking about the integrated solution, he said that Karishma had six products related to healthcare and all could be deployed on Intel infrastructure.
With the solution, duplication of information in different departments could be avoided, efficiency could be improved and standardisation of processes could be brought about. It also helped improve quality of patient care. There were seven main stakeholders in healthcare – patient, doctor, shareholders, government, financial managers, regulators and system providers. To start with, at least four of them would benefit from the package. Last year, 14 hospitals in the country adopted the integrated package. “This year, we are sure of doing it in another 25 hospitals, though we are aiming for 40,” he said. Atul Bengeri, Industry Manager, Digital Healthcare Group of Intel India said all aspects of a hospital’s functioning, such as administration, clinical and financial working, were covered. Each department in a hospital might function efficiently. The solution would help them work efficiently together.
According to Jaivinder Singh Gill, Executive Director of Relational Business, Lenovo India, such a technology was essential for critical information management in hospitals. Lenovo would provide to the hospitals high end computers, desktops and notebooks on Intel Technology platform.
