Technology Role in Healthcare

Technology Role in Healthcare

Unit 3 DB

Networking is one of the most important steps in the electronic progression since the creation of the PC mainly because it is a group of linked computers that allow the sharing of information and peripherals, this trend to consolidation is continuing because new technologies in network utilization have contributed to the scientific work in laboratories and data-management, contributed to hospitals and clinics working together towards a common goal of saving money and improving the care of the communities they serve. The new approach to utilization management is social networking which encompasses a variety of activities and requires intense information coordination.

Networking importance comes from the fact of today's business world whereas companies have no choice but to open their networks to the Internet if they want to gain a better position for their business. A standalone computer is very useful to many businesses, but without a network, those businesses would have to spend twice the amount of money on computerization than they would have to by implementing a networking system.

The main benefits of computer networking are information- sharing of devices and data among the various applications and have a shared patient demographic database. There are two basic types of networks: peer-to-peer and server-based. On a peer-to-peer network, any computer can act as a server to share resources with other machines and as a client to access these resources. There is an advantage to server-based networks such that it centralizes user accounts and eases maintenance with less need for administration. There are some disadvantages too, such as server failure and initial start up cost. When the server fails, the whole system is considered useless until the server is fixed. Servers can also be very expensive, ranging from $5000.00 to $150,000.00.

Network utilization allows system administrators to see traffic levels for various systems and determine if network upgrades are warranted, helps health insurance companies gain access to information more efficiently and receive payments faster.

Social networking in healthcare is replacing several traditional ways of contacting managers, doctors and other essential staff via e-mail to the use of electronic health records. Examples: same day reports for each and every specialty clinic referral. Social networking is being used to characterize the transmission of infectious diseases, information, social preferences, and habits across populations of people, identify which players within a network may be more influential and how changing players may affect others. Understanding of a social networking can facilitate predictions of the ramifications of different policies and interventions. Social networking can also help identify closely associated groups, helping