This new technology creates opportunities for expediting business processes and expanding partnership opportunities among providers and consumers. The Internet provides patients and providers with unmatched opportunities for accessing medical information. From the development of electronic medical records to advances in telemedicine, the Internet is changing how medical information is handled and how consumers of care interact with providers of care. Hospitals, physicians, and health plans are experimenting with and adopting Internet-based technologies to provide customer service. Genetic research will rapidly become the focus of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, as the decoding of genes will allow scientists to develop methods for replacing faulty genes with healthy ones.
Gene therapy is within our grasp.
At some point in the future, much of today s traditional medical care may be replaced by specific preventive techniques and therapies. At the same time, genetic research is raising difficult ethical questions about the confidentiality of genetic information. Other technological advances will lead to new diagnostic tools. New technology will increasingly focus on overall patient management. Although the healthcare industry has been slow to leverage the cost savings of information technology, the Internet will significantly accelerate the speed for such activities as obtaining referrals, receiving payment, identifying patients for clinical trials, disseminating best practices, and sharing cost information.