Health Information Technology: Advancing or Dehumanizing the Future of Healthcare?
By Arshia Verma
As we see information technology starting to be implemented in almost all areas of our lives, obvious concerns have arisen. Uncertainty over security, ethicality, humaneness, and cost have caused people to be wary about our increasing reliance on technology. As such, the adoption of health information technology (HIT) has caused an important debate on whether technology will revolutionize the medical industry in a way that advances or dehumanizes patient care.
Many believe that the introduction of HIT into the healthcare industry will make patient care more impersonal. In some cases, Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems have hurt physicians’ ability to connect emotionally with their patients due to the extensive documentation process, leaving their patients feeling that they weren’t given enough attention. Over reliability on technology is also a concern that arises, as medical students and physicians do not receive sufficient training in the use of new technology systems. Many worry that EHR could result in a loss of privacy or the misuse of personal information, highlighting the need for formal training of doctors in order to minimize that risk.
These concerns are undoubtedly valid, however, the introduction of technology will not necessarily cause a decrease in the personalization of medical care. HIT definitely provides some benefits for both doctors and patients. It increases efficiency, as tasks like drug-dosage calculations can be automated by information systems, allowing doctors to spend more time with patients due to the information systems automating. It also adds an element of convenience, since EHR systems enable doctors in any area of the world to access medical records based on a patient’s need. This ensures that patients can receive the help they need no matter where they are located in a timely manner, which is extremely important with our increasingly transient lifestyles. Furthermore, the introduction of electronic health records has been blamed for physician’s lack of attention towards the patient receiving care, however, what many fail to realize is that there are physicians who focus too much on recording patient information even when using paper charts. Overdocumentation isn’t necessarily the direct impact of electronic health recording, especially if clinicians are trained to implement and utilize HIT in a balanced way.
No matter how advanced the technology we use is, ultimately, if clinicians cannot learn how to use the technology while maintaining a personal connection with their patients, the quality of healthcare is bound to go down. However, it is important to not approach the implementation of technology in the healthcare sector with a negative mindset. HIT can advance the future of healthcare if we learn to find a healthy balance between the personal touch and the new technology.