My mom started working in a hospital when I was a toddler. At the time, and still to this day, the hospital where she worked isn’t computerized. We have had many discussions about it and to her - since she isn’t computer savvy - it can stay just the way it is. Here in the US, hospitals and doctors’ offices and are either fully computerized or a in a hybrid state where some things are computerized and others are not.
Current State
Outside of computers with regards to the medical equipment being used, the system in which my mother worked isn’t computerized in any way. When a patient enters the Emergency Room it is someone’s job to go to a file room and search for prior medical charts. This paper chart then moves with the person from the ER to the ward if they are kept. At the end of their stay, that chart is then placed back into the room. Follow up clinic visits are sometimes required and for those clinic visits, the chart is again retrieved by someone and brought to the clinic. It would be much simpler if the medical records were digitized.
Future Hope
As workers such as my mom age out of the system, I am hoping that the new generation of workers are more computer literate and push for digitization of the medical records. On one hand, digitization takes away the job of the person whose responsibility it was to retrieve the files – this is usually a stated concern, and it also brings rise to security concerns. In a small country where everyone knows everyone, it has proven difficult to secure personal information. On the other hand, having readily available records means faster processing of patients. Once digitized, the workers will all need to have a level of computer literacy that they didn’t previously have. It also means training on new systems and new ways of doing things which will lead to many of the older workers feeling as if they are being pushed out.
It would be a big job to convert the systems, but it would mean jobs for many people and new skills being taught. There would be a need for people who can teach technology as well as people who are well versed in networking and security. New building codes need to be implemented that take security into consideration. A higher standard of living and knowledge for many people as a result. No longer will they need x-rays imaged on film to take to another doctor for a second opinion, those medical records and results could be easily and securely transferred with the patient.
Inevitable Changes
As time goes on its inevitable that more and more of the systems will be computerized. Smaller medical offices will be able to move faster than a whole hospital system. Laws like HIPPA will need to be enforced to be sure that the people responsible for entering the data during the process of digitization are not sharing the contents. Ongoing securing of the data will need to be strongly considered. Though there would be a loss of jobs for the manual retrieval, the implementation of a whole new system means more jobs to be had in the building and supporting of the system. I think the pros outweigh the cons.
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