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
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 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
    4 Reasons Why Medical Device Compliance Matters
    May 22, 2020
    What To Know About The Importance Of Healthcare Marketing
    November 23, 2019
    healthcare courses
    6 Supplemental Courses in Healthcare to Support Your HR Degree
    August 20, 2021
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: HIMSS14: The IT Market and US Healthcare – Big and Getting Bigger
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 > HIMSS14: The IT Market and US Healthcare – Big and Getting Bigger
BusinessTechnology

HIMSS14: The IT Market and US Healthcare – Big and Getting Bigger

Steve Goldstein
Last updated: March 3, 2014 9:00 am
Steve Goldstein
Share
3 Min Read
healthcare IT
SHARE

healthcare IT

healthcare IT

I hope you were as interested as I was in the whys and wherefores of the dominance of the United States in the healthcare IT market; I wanted to hear more — and now you will, too. I spoke with Andy Flanagan, a Senior Vice President at Siemens charged with growing the healthcare IT business in America and a refreshingly candid fellow. He was hanging out at the busy Siemens booth at HIMSS14 here in Orlando.

“We’re in a unique situation,” he began. “Our healthcare costs per capita are essentially double that of any other average country. Everyone is trying to reduce costs and still have a positive outcome. We have huge inefficiencies; 30 percent of what is spent on healthcare is waste.”

More Read

Important Medical Procedures for Those in Their 50s
Empowering Healthcare Improvement with the Community Needs Assessment
High Quality, Low Cost HealthCare Video Interview Series: Dr. Akash Rajpal and Ekohealth
Sutter Health HIPAA Breach: Lessons Learned
High Quality, Low Cost HealthCare – Video Interview Series: Dr David Arterburn and Decision Aids

Flanagan said our reliance on healthcare IT is being driven by the consumer and the patient, as in other industries. “IT is a defense mechanism for the delivery model to get more efficient,” he continued. “Hospitals aren’t implementing IT just to reduce costs. They are doing it because of external pressure to serve the patient better, to retain the patient and to survive as a delivery system. Cost is a byproduct of achieving better outcomes. The goal is excellence.”

So, whither the IT market? “It’s going to continue to grow,” said Flanagan. “Most processes in hospitals, in ambulatory settings remain paper-based. IT expansion will continue for another decade.” Some of the technology will be disruptive, he said, radically altering the status quo. “It’s the merging of technology, one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy, with healthcare representing 17 percent of our GDP. You put those two together and the healthcare IT market is going to be a focal point for 10 years.”

As for where IT innovation will take us, Flanagan said “you’re going to see hospitals communicate seamlessly. You’re going to see your smart phone, your smart watch serve data and receive data in a highly personalized fashion. The patient will become effectively the center of the IT world.

“We’re going to see IT become self-aware,” he said, eerily echoing the evolution of the HAL computer in the classic 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. “In fact, we’re already doing it with Fitbit. Permission-based awareness will continue.”

Flanagan said the crowds around the Siemens booth testified to the fact that his customers know this is coming. He has a 15-year history at HIMSS and I asked him when things tipped for IT. “When doctors started valuing technology beyond the machine — in some cases, when it revolved around billing and getting paid faster — that probably was the beginning,” Flanagan said.

Set your smart watch — time to embrace healthcare IT.

(health IT / shutterstock)

TAGGED:healthcare ITHIMSS 2014Siemens
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

medical nonadherence
BusinessHealth Reform

Medication Non-Adherence: A $290 Billion Unnecessary Expenditure

April 13, 2015
Ebola fears
Hospital AdministrationPublic Health

Another Irrational Ebola Response

November 4, 2014

DOCTOR Project Launches Consumer-Friendly Reports on Physicians [TRANSCRIPT]

May 22, 2014
Medical Business, Medical Practice Marketing, Online Marketing
Business

Want to Grow Your Medical Practice? Think Like an Entrepreneur

April 25, 2014
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?