Data and information technology can improve health care.

Patients CAN receive higher quality, more efficient and cost effective healthcare.

Profit driven industries have utilized data mining for decades and health care is slowly embracing the value of sifting through the vast amounts of collected information.

There are powerful concepts in various stages of development to include clinician decision support (computer programs that help doctors order the right labs, CT scans, MRI’s and ask all of the right questions), bidirectional electronic medical records (think online banking but with your doctor to check labs, radiology reports, make appointments, send home blood pressure or monthly weight from bluetooth enabled products), Apple Health Kit and genetically designed pharmaceuticals.

As a result of the exponential incorporation of technology and subsequent enormous amount of data that is generated and stored, the field of informatics is developing. Useful examples are already in place: curetogether.com or patientslikeme.com

With these influences, I have started many projects at my current hospital identifying useful data trends for leadership action and ultimately improved patient care.

Tyler Vachon, MD