Urgent reforms needed in healthcare IT systems, says Ovum

Research by technology analyst firm Ovum has found that the Government have postponed putting more up-to-date and efficient systems in place in an attempt to appease the public in the new age of austerity.

However, Ovum believes that in doing so, authorities are costing tax payers more in the long run, as this inefficiency will lead to more money being ploughed into services.

Moreover, more efficient IT systems are crucial to ensuring patient care continues to improve and without them it could even decline.
Cornelia Wels-Maug, Ovum analyst and author of a new report on healthcare for technology providers, explains: “While IT cannot resolve the ultimate cause of the sector’s woes it is essential in the management of budget cuts.
“Governments are not doing the public any favours by putting off upgrading outdated systems as it will mean services will cost more to run and patient care could be jeopardised. “
Wels-Maug believes that cloud computing is one means of service delivery that could also bring significant benefits to healthcare. The associated scalability and flexibility of cloud computing around the use of and payment for IT systems helps to eliminate waste and reduces the cost of IT delivery and services.

She adds: “It also allows IT departments with restricted resources to focus more on critical projects, rather than maintaining email or servers. Cash-strapped agencies and departments should look at cloud computing as an attractive proposition.”