Transforming Health Care Through Technology

A man in a rural area wakes with chest pains. He heads to his local hospital and is fitted with monitors that automatically report to a doctor at a hospital two towns away, where he is monitored remotely through a tele-ICU program. Software at both hospitals allow the doctors to predict reliably how long the patient will need to stay in the hospital, which helps insurers combat possible fraud. With further adoption of health information technology (HIT) initiatives, similar scenarios could become commonplace in the near future.

Advances in information technology and telecommunications are transforming health care. High-speed connections and sophisticated new technologies make it possible to monitor, diagnose and treat patients remotely from across the country. For patients, the result is better care and access to it, especially for those in rural and underserved areas. With many states facing budget shortfalls, it is more important than ever to find solutions that improve health care quality and reduce cost burdens for states.