Information Technology: Smart Computer Systems to Aid Quality Effort
- Developments in information technology are promising to make care safer and better, and Albany Med is committed to transforming its care environment by implementing these "smart" computer systems.
- Automated systems will allow Albany Medical Center providers to standardize the care they provide and to better document the critical information associated with that care.
- Already, when an MRI or blood test is ordered, doctors and other clinicians can now view the image or test results on a computer screen, rather than waiting for an x-ray to be delivered or having to search through a patient's chart to check on blood test results.
- "Smart" systems will provide real-time monitoring - thereby improving quality by reducing such things as allergic drug reactions, drug interactions and medication errors.
- This transformation will ultimately result in an electronic medical record which will enable providers and patients alike to have access to pertinent and comprehensive medical information.
Steven Frisch, M.D., Executive Vice President and Hospital Systems General Director, answers questions about the role of computers in the delivery of high quality care
