| | April 20218UTLOOKHealthcare Tech IN MY OPINIONHow Pioneering Technologies Streamline and Improve Clinical CareBy Andrew Parker, Vice President, Corporate Business Development and General Counsel, bioMérieux, Inc. [EPA:BIM]According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, more than 90% of large, medium, small rural, and critical access hospitals are using certified health information technology (HIT) to support their healthcare systems, as of June 2019. For most hospitals, HIT isn't just an innovative extra--it's a critical part of everyday operations. From Electronic Health Records to software that helps analyze and communicate lab data to surveillance and reporting programs to support antimicrobial stewardship, having the right technology at your hospital means having a real competitive advantage. Here are a few ways that technology is helping both hospitals and patients achieve better outcomes.Telemedicine to connect patients and providersTelemedicine, also called telehealth, has become more popular over the past few years but adoption of the technology has exploded this year due to the pandemic. In fact, telehealth visits in the U.S. are projected to climb to 1 billion by the end of 2020.Healthcare providers and patients being able to connect virtually saves a person from having to visit a hospital, urgent care, or medical practice in-person --and limits their exposure to the coronavirus. Telehealth visits also helped avoid overburdening emergency departments and urgent care centers as they focused on severe cases of COVID-19. Connection options can include a phone call, email, text, video visit, or even a video email.Software-as-a-service unites and simplifies careBringing together care coordination in a fragmented healthcare system is a major challenge ­ and smart technology (or software-as-a-service (SaaS) can help streamline and connect disparate information. SaaS platforms Andrew Parker
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