According to the study, the benefits to hospitals utilizing IT are great. Upgraded computer systems facilitate easy access to critical health information and more efficient care at lower costs. Instead of relying on handwritten notes buried in poorly organized paper files, doctors, nurses and other health providers are slowly converting main frame computer systems to IT networks, according to the study. For instance, Geisinger Health Care System in Danville, Pa., the largest U.S. rural HMO, uses its intranet system to operate a call-in center for people with medical questions. It also has a computer kiosk in its waiting room where patients can look up departmental procedures and services.
Doctors use the system to post digital pictures of patients' injuries for insurance purposes.
And new systems do have snags. For instance, hospitals in New York and California may have completely automated systems, but the systems may be incompatible and unable to share vital patient information, Raghupathi said. Different parts of the country use different codes for different diseases and treatments. If hospitals don't agree on how to code them, the systems will be incompatible. Fordham's Graduate School of Business Administration was established in 1969 and has been recognized nationally for the quality, innovation and comprehensiveness of its programs, which prepare graduates for global competition.