We touched on a few of these innovations that have propelled the efficiency of information systems in the field of healthcare such as IBM's Watson, tablet devices, and online health sites that allow patients to schedule e-visits. Each one of these technologies has brought something new and different to the field of healthcare. IBM's Watson provides the ability to use data analytics in order to more accurately diagnose patients as well as speed up the process of diagnosis. Tablet devices have provided doctors and nurses to have information about their patients more readily available and have given them the ability move more freely from patient to patient since tablets eliminate the need to switch out hard copy charts with separate patients. Interactive healthcare websites have made a world of difference in healthcare, because now people have convenience on their side; after all one of the most common reasons people do not visit the doctor regularly is because they simply do not have time to work them in to their schedule. The three key factors that information systems have improved in the healthcare field are accuracy, speed, and making healthcare more obtainable.
The last innovation we are going wrap things up with is 3-D printing. This innovation was created by merging information systems connected to the 2-D printing industry with the information systems of protoyping and small scale model businesses; which was brought about in the 1980s. But how is this related to the healthcare industry? Just recently 3-D printing has made its debut to the healthcare industry and has greatly impacted the healthcare industry by providing doctors with the ability to preview a to scale model of a specific patient's organ or organs before entering a surgery; this allows a tremendous amount of insight and information that is simply impossible to gain from looking at a CT scan or MRI. 3-D printing has also broke ground in the prosthetic limb and total knee replacements. With the ability of in house 3-D printing or access to a 3-D printing firm doctors can now customize prosthetic limbs and knee replacements to fit each individual patient as close to perfect as possible; instead of the previous way of having to choose from only a select few models that a prosthetic limb or medical supply company may provide. The mesh between the healthcare industry's information systems and printing industry's information systems may pose as the next significant disruptive technology. We feel that this innovation, although a "disruptive" technology will bring about a greatly increased success rate in procedures and in patient recovery to the healthcare systems; which has all been made possible by information systems coming together.
We are excited to see what the future holds for the healthcare industry and although we can not be sure of what it will bring, we are positive that whatever it is will be mind blowing.
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