Healthcare Information Technology has seen rapid growth over the past few years. At the forefront of this massive change is President Obama’s initiative known as Obamacare. One of the key features of Obamacare is the push towards registering uninsured patients, which form a major part of US population.

Let’s look into some of the aspects that can lead to massive growth in healthcare IT.

Use of an EHR: By the use of an Electronic Health Record, providers will be empowered. They will be able to make better, informed decisions, since the patient data is electronically fed and the chances of human error are zero. Healthcare IT will grow rapidly because of the government’s incentive programs such as Meaningful Use for Medicare and Medicaid. In order to do so, the government is providing not only monetary support for the healthcare providers but also the training and support needed for this transfer.

Mobile EHR: Imagine your practices’ data right in your pocket! Mobile EHR will be the technology of the future. And to say the least, it’s available right now, with limited functionality but enough to make providers happy. Providers can see appointments booked, reply to email messages through the portal, see clinical dashboard and progress notes. All in all, as the mobile EHR market becomes bigger and more vendors reach out in providing the best service possible, the quality and service functionalities will enhance. As a provider, you will always need a device in your pocket that can deliver results.

Patient Portals: How convenient would the world be with the use of web patient portals?  For example, with CureMD’s Patient Portal, patients can be registered online, patients can interact with their physician, patients can view their health information, appointments can be requested online, and prescription refills are processed automatically.

RECs: Regional Extension Centers were established in 2010 by the Obama administration to help providers become Meaningful Use certified and earn incentives. RECs have produced results, in 2013, out of 147,000 providers enrolled with a Regional Extension Center, 124,000 are already using an EHR and 70,000 have demonstrated Meaningful Use. Healthcare IT will grow with the rapid expansion of RECs.

ACOs:  Accountable Care Organizations have grown tremendously; the model adopted by them provides a sustainable culture to healthcare IT. It has not only proven to improve the quality of care, but it has also shown to reduce costs. ACOs’ core fundamentals include sharing IT resources—tangible medical equipment to software. ACOs growth from 2010 to 2013 has been massive, but now the growth has been slow. But the point to consider here is, ACOs allow for experimentation in its model and structure, which can be the launchpad for new ideas in the future.

I.T. brings change faster than what a provider can imagine. Sitting at your desk, punching away the keys to provide service to your patient may not seem big at this moment. But wait, in a couple of years the data you send to your patient may very well have 3D analysis reports that will help patients to reconsider their lifestyle choices. The change is coming and it’s big.