Determining the Strategic Direction

Abstract

Whether in patient care, research, administration, or education, the applications of all types of technologies are exploding in today’s health care arena. In patient care, technology is used to admit patients to a hospital, order their tests, perform their tests (e.g., in radiology and laboratory procedures), disseminate the test results, maintain their medical records, provide feedback to the referring physician, followup on patients in ambulatory sites, etc. Technology today can suggest treatment modalities in medicine and surgery. Technology is increasingly integrating the patient into the health care decision process. Using technology, patients can explore both the available treatment options and the potential outcomes to help them make more informed treatment choices. In essence, the infrastructure of the modern health care world has shifted from bricks and mortar to technology.