The validity and longevity of mobile technology seem to be a foregone conclusion to the vast majority of the developed world. From banking to shopping to ordering food, just about everything we do can be enabled or simplified by mobile technology.
So why is the U.S. healthcare market so slow to adopt such a wide-spread, reliable tool that is literally at their fingertips?
Healthcare providers “tend to be quite conservative in terms of making changes, and rightly so, because there’s a lot at risk,” says Ben Wilson, director of Mobile Health at Intel, in an article by Rebecca Walberg published June 16, 2014 on the Financial Post. “But this is a case where the culture of caution and taking your time to adopt new technologies has created a barrier to accessing the benefits of mobility.”
Steve Jourdan, Founder & CEO of BedWatch, agrees.
“Innovation equals risk, and risk is a four letter word in healthcare, for good reason,” says Jourdan, in an op ed published on Electronic Health Reporter. “Margins are thin, enforcement and compliance efforts related to HIPAA are increasing, and, ultimately patient care hangs in the balance at a time when reimbursement models are shifting from fee-for-service to being outcome-based.”
“There is great promise in current mobile and cloud computing technologies, in that they are more accessible, easier to use, more secure, more scalable and can enable people to be more effective,” according to Jourdan.
“The technology advancements we need are already here,” Jourdan explains. “That said, use of current technology is only half of the solution. The other half is the people side of the equation. A culture of improvement must be embraced by the organization from the top down in order for significant improvements to be realized.”
Only when hospital leaders embrace mobile technology and create a top-down approach to innovation, adoption, and culture change will the U.S. healthcare market truly move forward.
“It is the people at America’s hospitals that will make the difference, not just technology,” Jourdan explains. “Our job is to provide them with the leadership, technology tools and cultural environment necessary to drive effective change and ultimately improve healthcare delivery.”
For more information on Steve Jourdan and BedWatch, please visit our leadership page or contact us for more information.
