The people over at ClinicSpectrum recently shared this interesting chart with me on Twitter:
My immediate response to it was that it needed to be shifted 2 years. If you make 2013=2015 and so forth, then I think the chart is pretty accurate and interesting. As I look at it again now, I also think that the appointment scheduling might be a little larger than reality as well.
Nitpicking aside, I think it illustrates an interesting movement that we see happening in healthcare IT. EHR is basically implemented. A few patient services like appointment scheduling are making good progress. Many organizations have started opening up electronic messaging to patients and patient access to records.
Of course, that all leaves the next frontier of healthcare IT: quality monitoring and preventive engagement. You could probably expand that into a few more areas, but at its core it’s all about improving the care that’s provided. This is the most exciting part of what we’re doing in healthcare IT and will be the next 5-10 year challenge. I’m excited to see the results.