Healthcare IT has evolved over the last decade, allowing physicians and healthcare management teams to work together in order to achieve quality care for patients. The advancement in technology has not only helped patients receive the best care due to up- to- date charting, it has helped nurses and primary care providers avoid costly mistakes in inventory control. Automated solutions are coming into the forefront of healthcare management, helping to improve the accuracy and productivity of teams throughout all aspects of the healthcare field. This change is necessary because of the diminishment of revenue and the increasing amount of guidelines from the federal government.

One of the biggest trends in healthcare IT today is recognizing the risk involved with delivering care. Hospitals and primary care facilities are reevaluating the way that they conduct business. This reevaluation includes the implementation of automated solutions for hospitals, pharmacies and urgent care clinics. Healthcare IT solutions are being used to reduce overall loss and cut labor. Removing costly expenses such as redundant inventory and unnecessary labor gives medical facilities the ability to take Medicare on as a primary source of revenue. The improvement of healthcare IT and infrastructure can also help increase productivity and reduce the amount of mistakes with medications.

Another trend that the healthcare industry is experiencing involves the improvement of patient-physician coordination. This includes streamlining patient charting as well as the medical history through upgraded software applications. Hospital pharmacies are also removing unneeded labor forces through automated solutions. These automated solutions help to free capital while delivering accurate pharmacy inventory control. The improvement of healthcare IT also helps doctors and physicians keep up to date patient information and decrease waiting times.

The access to revenue is expected to become limited in 2012 and in the foreseeable future. Because of this, many facilities are starting to consolidate with smaller facilities and practices. Smaller practices will start to become more affiliated with larger healthcare centers, ultimately leading to the procurement of the practices. The 2012 Medicare 30-Day return stay rule will help bring in jobs with the increased need for skilled nursing. This rule will also lead to the expansion of long-term care facilities and an improvement of readmission rates. The result should be better management of medical patient care and better financial stability for the facility.

For more information on trends in healthcare and healthcare IT, watch thevideoHealthcare Trends through the Decade.