By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    5 Positive Uses Of Healthcare IoT You Should Know About
    June 26, 2020
    protect patient's information
    7 Key Tips To Protecting Patient Health Information
    September 8, 2022
    online pharmacy
    How Online Pharmacies are Changing Healthcare
    November 24, 2021
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Health IT: Getting Beyond the Hype and Focusing on Valuable Content
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Health IT: Getting Beyond the Hype and Focusing on Valuable Content
BusinessTechnology

Health IT: Getting Beyond the Hype and Focusing on Valuable Content

ShahidShah
Last updated: March 21, 2014 8:00 am
ShahidShah
Share
4 Min Read
health IT cheerleaders
SHARE

health IT cheerleadersMy friend John Lynn was kind enough to cover the new HealthIMPACT Conference that I’m chairing in Houston on April 3 in his recent piece entitled “Getting Beyond the Health IT Cheerleaders, BS, and Hype Machine“.

health IT cheerleadersMy friend John Lynn was kind enough to cover the new HealthIMPACT Conference that I’m chairing in Houston on April 3 in his recent piece entitled “Getting Beyond the Health IT Cheerleaders, BS, and Hype Machine“. While the article was great, Beth Friedman’s comment was priceless:

What are the criteria to be considered part of the cheerleader squad? This PR agency wants to be sure we are providing valuable, actionable, [practical], relevant content….NOT HYPE! And we’re open to your guidance.

John gave her a great reply:

It’s interesting how in high school you always wanted to be a cheerleader, but in marketing you don’t want to be seen as the cheerleader;-)

I think your description describes what you need to do to avoid hype. You have to focus on what really matters to the customers. Provide value to the customer as opposed to trying to sale your product. A deep understanding of the domain will create a relationship where people trust your views and then can talk about what you’re doing to solve their problems which you understand deeply.

Since Beth posted a great question I wanted to do it justice by answering more specifically. 

More Read

HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Is eCommerce For Your Health Business The Right Move?
Four Lesser-Known Ways to Enhance Your Web Presence
Self-Tracking Is Just the Beginning for Wearables Applications
Get Compliant or Get Out of the Game: HIPAA’s No Joke

Health IT “Cheerleaders” in my mind are those that push technology without considering deep value, return on investment, return on assets, and productivity loss. The hype machine is built around technology when health IT “cheerleaders” focus more on the gadgetry itself rather than the value proposition. If content is built around workflows, workflow optimization, and those tasks within existing or new workflows that optimize patient care through the use of technology then that’s real value.

This morning a college student sent a great question around health IT related productivity loss:

I am currently working on a capstone project for my MBA and my team is required to address a set of challenges as well as opportunities. One of the challenges they seem to be concerned the most [about] is the reduction in productivity of the physicians during and after the implementation of the EHR platform (they are currently working on a paper-base workflow). Since EMR requires doctors to type in the information which eventually takes significantly larger amount of time compared to their traditional method of handwriting, they are asking about ideas what they should do.

I replied that this sounds like a great project – and promptly advised them to conduct an analysis on whether the concern or productivity loss is warranted. I suggested they do a current workflow analysis to figure out their efficiency of existing steps and how those steps would change after an EHR is installed. If such an analysis is not done, evidence-driven technology choices cannot be made.

For a great example of how to build content around clinical workflows, check out HRSA’s guidance. It’s still surprising to me how many of us in the tech business suggest usage of technology without a deep understanding of workflow. Progress will come, and cheerleading will be reduced, when tech meets workflow in a measurable way.

(health “cheerleaders” / shutterstock)

TAGGED:Health IT
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025
How Therapy Can Improve Your Mental Health and Daily Life
How Therapy Can Improve Your Mental Health and Daily Life
Mental Health
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

Business

How You Can Take Your Supplement Brand To The Next Level

November 28, 2018
Image
eHealthHome HealthMedical DevicesNewsTechnology

Mobile Health Around the Globe: Healthcare Technology in the 21st Century

January 14, 2013
healthcare business tips
BusinessHealth care

10 Proven Strategies to Level Up Your Health Business

October 25, 2023
Business

All Our Problems in One Graph

September 16, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?