Executive Summary (Benchmark Assessment)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Name: Grade Course: Tutor's Name: Date of Submission: Executive summary The purpose of the project The purpose of adopting and implementing technology use in the healthcare is to enhance quality improvement in the institutional, personal and professional levels. The adoption and implementation of technology use in the healthcare was initiated by the introduction of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which requires that the federal government ensures that the nationwide health network of interoperable by 2014 is attainable. Studies have shown that the adoption and implementation of technology use in the healthcare has the potential of increasing efficiency, quality and safety of healthcare. Since the introduction of technology in the healthcare by federal government, adoption and implementation process has been generally slow due to its complexity and costs. However, healthcare providers who have adopted and implemented the use of technology have registered positive results in terms efficiency and quality gained (Brailer., 2004). Recent studies done to assess the infiltration of technology in the healthcare showed that approximately 12,000 physicians and over 170,000 patients used CIGNA's virtual house calls in the year 2008. Early studies conducted in the year 2006 showed that patients prescribed to eRx Collaborative offered by BCBSMA saved approximately US$ 800,000 in prescription drug co-payment through the use of the e-prescribing system. Most of the users interviewed, confirmed that after the introduction of e-prescription, they have saved up to two hours per day spend on issue related to drug prescriptions. Finally, studies done on Kaiser Permanente members showed that approximately 2.25 million members accessible to internet services have their laboratory test results and prescriptions made online through a program called "My health Manager". These are few examples highlighted to represent the positive results realized after the adoption of technology in the healthcare (Bates & Gawande, 2003). Targeted technologies in this project include the adoption of; Electronic Health Records (EHR), Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE), Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS), Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), Bar Code or Quick Response Code, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Automated Dispensing Machines (ADMs), Electronic Materials Management (EMM) and Interoperability. Despite of clear benchmarks and standardize procedures of using these technologies, technician may become complacent with shortcuts or operate mediocrely, and thus compromising the quality and integrity of the results, hence creating aspersions on the adoptions of technology in the healthcare. Therefore, the adoption and implementation of technology in the healthcare, requires the training of technicians and public on the importance of these technologies in the healthcare (Miller & Sim, 2004). The target population or audience ...