Internet technologies - and the system integration facilities they offer - are coming to the aid of hospitals that are in the catch-22 situation of needing to invest in upgrading their application systems to be more cost-efficient but are reluctant to spend money in a critically cash-strapped environment.
This means that instead of investing in new systems, hospitals and other service providers can integrate new applications with existing systems to meet their clinical data and management needs.
Clinical IT technology will continue to advance so it makes business sense to use Web and application integration technologies instead of investing in an entirely new system.
Lorna Powe, IT healthcare specialist, Computer Sciences Corporation in SA
The emphasis should be on having a simple-to-use system that allows healthcare providers to build clinical `portals` for accessing large collections of data online. Internet technologies now facilitate the fast and cost-effective development of new applications that take advantage of information from multiple information sources across the healthcare organisation. Users` familiarity with the Internet helps make using this interface to access information from disparate applications easier and faster.
Leveraging existing enterprise application integration (EAI) tools, business process management and Web technologies to develop and deploy integrated portal solutions may be a better approach to solving cost and technology issues rather than buying add-ons or a new set of solutions from a clinical IS vendor and integrating these with existing systems.
Using existing EAI tools to integrate critical information with Web technologies creates highly customisable front-ends which allow access to the information either through the Internet or the organisation`s intranet.
This can bring together information from disparate applications systems and show the user the information in one `screen` on the Internet.
Using existing skills
The advantage of this approach is that it uses most of the technologies and technical skills already existing within the healthcare organisation, thereby minimising new investments.
By using the Web and application integration approach, users are separated from back-end IS functions. This allows existing applications to be replaced over time with minimal impact on users and avoids over-reliance on any application vendor.
With this approach, a high degree of customisation is possible. Portals are relatively easy to prototype, and physicians and other hospital staff can define specific requirements before implementation. Also, an integrated portal typically can be designed, developed and deployed more quickly than a full clinical IS solution. Thus portals cost far less than full clinical IS solutions and involve much less risk of failure. Key to this approach is the technical integration method which must be easily repeatable and hence enable plug-and-play of applications.
Clinical IT technology will continue to advance so it makes business sense to use Web and application integration technologies instead of investing in an entirely new system.
By delaying the purchase of a new system in a Big Bang approach, providers are afforded time to see which vendors will emerge as industry leaders and to take advantage of any cost reductions that result as greater adoption of technological advances occur.
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