How will Health Information Management Change by the year 2020?

Interoperability solutions for exchanging patient information across healthcare settings are one particular technological development that will shape the future of all healthcare organizations.  By including post-acute care in interoperability strategies, healthcare organizations can ensure that critical patient information across all care settings will be connected, providing a more detailed patient picture for more specific treatment plans and improved patient care.  Health Information Management professionals will be needed to big data being imported into our EHRs.

Another technological development that will shape the future of healthcare in 2020 is the availability of innovative mobile technologies that break down the barriers between patients and providers. Patient monitoring devices are already in high demand. We use Fit Bit to track our activity and our sleep, and EKG Band-Aids to support heart monitoring. As we move into a world that is much more connected, we’ll see many more innovative developments to track our health, from Internet-enabled toothbrushes that tell us who is brushing their teeth and how frequently, to whole house monitors that notify remote caregivers of a person who did not move from their bedroom to their bathroom by a certain time as typically expected, alerting that action may be required.  All this big data will need to be managed by Health Information Management Professionals. 

By 2020, the days of patients waiting for their doctors to call with urgent test results will be behind us. Patients, instead, will consider it a necessity to access critical care information from patient portals and mobile devices. Clinicians will benefit as well from mobile technologies by having instant access to patient data at the point of care, no matter what the care setting is. Post-acute care providers, in particular, will leverage mobile technologies to access evidence-based content at the patient bedside, enabling them to more accurately provide the right care at the right moment while also capturing new problems and modifying the care plan immediately.  These are exciting times, not only for us as consumers but for us as Health Information Management Professionals.

Jane DeSpiegelaere-Wegner, MBA, RHIA, CCS, FAHIMA
Past President