Health Care Technology

Health Care Technology

Table of Contents

Introduction

Health care technology is any intervention that can be used in health, to treat, diagnose, or for long-term rehabilitation and care. It includes the devices, pharmaceuticals, procedures, and even organizational systems used in health care. Medical Technology is a subset of health technology and, it encompasses a wide range of products used in health care to diagnose, treat diseases and medical conditions affecting humans, or monitor them. Such technologies are intended to improve healthcare delivery through less invasive treatment options, earlier diagnosis, and less stays in hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

Cost reduction has also been focused on by the recent advances in medical technology. Broadly, medical technology may include medical devices, biotech, information technology and healthcare services. Medical technology is, therefore, used in everyday life examples which include early-stage HIV testing, MRI Scanners, drug-eluting stents, pacemakers, incontinence and wound management, blood glucose testing kits, and minimal invasive surgical technology, but does not include biologics, medicines or vaccines. The quality of the heath care delivered to the patient and the outcomes is, therefore, improved by the innovative technology.

Imaging devices, for example, magnetic resonance imaging, in the future will be available globally at a lower cost than now. For example, the size of a Black Berry ultrasound machine that is hand-held and is capable of taking the heart and other organs sonar images. Like the stethoscope diagnostic tool used today, the device will be able to transmit images from places such as the villages which are distant from the medical facilities for further analysis. Some of the emerging countries for instance India, have developed healthcare processes with which first-rate health care having much lower costs than the care costs in the developed world, for example, the United States can be delivered. Lower labor costs do not seem to lower all the costs alone. These countries, therefore, ought to teach the developed countries about processes in health care like heavier reliance on physicians substituting equipments with telemedicine.

Low-cost technology will be part of the high healthcare costs in developed countries, and this is what is also be stimulating the efforts of developing this technology, in addition to the needs of, the growing markets.

In all health systems, the provision of health care remains a highly labor-intensive activity. In the coming decades, labor will be competed for in an increasing tight market. This trend will drive up the unit labor costs in health care. The new medical technologies can economize on the labor use in healthcare and, therefore, need for development of healthcare technology.

Statement of Problem

Health care costs are increasing every year, for example, in the United States health care expenditures, have continued growing rapidly. Health care spending annual growth rate was about 9.8% or nearly 2.5% faster than the economy as per nominal domestic product measure. It increased from $75 billion to $2.0 trillion between 1970 and 2005and in 20015; it is estimated to reach $4trillion. This rapid increase in the health care cost has been claimed on the development and use of the medical technology.

Purpose of the Study

This study investigates whether medical care technology is the cause of the increase in the medical care costs and, therefore, finds ways of reducing the costs. Literature review was used to describe the 1970 to 2005 increase in the United States health care cost and the further expected increase to $4 trillion in 2015. Case studies for the health care system implementation were done across some of hospitals in the United States to show the relationship between the new medical health care technology and the cost of the medical care. As part of this work, another evaluation was done to show how these increasing costs would be cut down through proper implementation of the medical technology. The study findings show that proper implementation of the medical health care technology would reduce the health care costs, rather than increasing them as previously witnessed.

Research Question

1. How medical health care technology cause increase in the costs of medical care.

2. How to reduce the medical costs caused by medical health care technology.

Hypotheses

HI_0-Null hypothesis: Health care technology does not increase the medical care costs.

HI_1-Alternative hypothesis: Health care technology increases the medical care costs.

Definition of key terms

Health care technology: Health care technology is any intervention that can be used in health, to treat, diagnose, or for long-term rehabilitation and care. It includes the devices, pharmaceuticals, procedures, and even organizational systems used in health care.

Medical care costs: The expenses that a person incurs when he is under treatment or medical observation.

Brief Review of Literature

Health care spending annual growth rate was about 9.8% or nearly 2.5% faster than the economy as per nominal domestic product measure. It increased from $75 billion to $2.0 trillion between 1970 and 2005and in 20015; it is estimated to reach $4trillion. This rapid increase in the cost of health care has been blamed on the development and use of the medical technology.

Proper management of physical infrastructure and medical technologies is important in attaining quality, affordable and sustainable health delivery. Proper planning, assessment, and evaluation of health facilities enhance cost-effective healthcare services. Development of healthcare processes with much lower costs and use less labor will lower the health care cost significantly. For instance in India, health care processes with lower costs has been developed, and this should also be done in the developed countries, for example, the United States. Overreliance on physicians also should be minimized by use of equipments such as telemedicine. Low-cost technology will be part of the high healthcare costs in developed countries, and this is what is also be stimulating the efforts of developing this technology, in addition to the needs of, the growing markets.

Research Method

Several hospitals were visited in the United States, and the health care technology used in the hospitals was assessed to know the cost implications to the patients. This is then compared to the initial costs when the new technology was not being used in hospitals and also to the health care costs of those hospitals not using the health care technology. Proper usage and the implementation of the healthcare systems were noted and also the number of physicians and the other hospital work force noted.

Operational Definition of Variables

Health care technology increases the health care costs through increased cost of acquiring and the installation costs. Effective management of the health care system reduces the health care costs by preventing repair and maintenance costs. Health care technology reduces the number of physicians and the other hospital workforce by reducing the time needed for performing procedures and increasing speed.

Measurement

Interviews concerning the use of the health system technology will be conducted on the visited hospitals. The number of physicians and the other work force of the hospitals using the health care system will be counted and compared to those hospitals not using the health care technology. The health care costs of the hospitals using the health care technology and those not using it is ascertained and recorded. The health care costs of the hospitals effectively using the health care technology and those using it ineffectively are recoded and the values computed.

Summary

Health care technology improves the provision of health care service. The implicated costs though is the major problem and, therefore, need for adjustment of such costs to lower level so as to reduce the cost of the health care. Development of cost effective machine is of paramount importance. Hospital work force for instance the physicians, the laboratory technologists, pharmacists, and other hospital attendants will be reduced to a smaller number which will, therefore, cost the running costs and, therefore, low service cost to the clients. The health care technology should also be well maintained for it to be effective, and to prevent losses due to damage, maintenance fee and poor working conditions. Through this, the rising cost of health care will be drastically reduced and effective services will be provided to people.

References

Business Day. Explaining the Science of Everyday Life. ( 2010) Retrieved from

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/02/ can-medical-technology-solve-the-health-care-problem/ On December 15, 2012.

Kaiser Family Foundation,Health Care Spending in the United States and OECD Countries, January 2007, Retrieved from http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/chcm030807oth.cfmOn December 15, 2012.

University of Cape Town, Health care technology management (2012), Retrieved from http://www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=IJHTM

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