Recently I have been contemplating just what are the core strategic drivers for the adoption of Health IT globally and trying to work out just what is relevant to Australia.
Two major ideas have struck me.
Firstly it seems that the continuing rise in spending on Healthcare in general is becoming un-sustainable. In the US it is now thought it will reach 20% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2015 (As identified in the US Health Policy magazine Health Affairs 2 weeks ago) and despite the best efforts of Mr Abbott and Mr Costello we look like reaching 15% of GDP in a similar time frame - despite the cost control mechanisms of the PBS etc.
Secondly it seems to me the Knowledge Management task now required of physicians is also becoming un-sustainable and it increasingly needs the support of information technology.
IT is good at helping with improving efficiency, managing and communicating information and identifying variations from the norm.
We need all this to allow us to see an improving health system and not one that fails under its own weight.
What do you think are the major drivers for better use of IT in the Health Sector?
David
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