Introduction
In addition to enhancement of economic growth, innovations in engineering can have safety, social, health, and environmental impacts, both negative and positive impacts. In the fast growing and changing business environment, constant technological innovation is important for businesses to be able to stay ahead of competition. Engineering innovation takes many different forms depending on the given industry.
Engineering innovation in the healthcare sector
In the healthcare sector, engineering innovation has led to the introduction of new systems for monitoring health care provision while enhancing quality care delivery as per the expected standards. One such engineering innovation that has been introduced in the healthcare sector is the Health Information Technological (HIT) systems also termed to as Electronic Health Records (EHRs). This engineering innovation has negatively and positively impacted the healthcare delivery process.
Positive impacts on safety and health
The implementation of the electronic health records systems has significantly transformed the ways in which clinician’s use, access, and store patients health data. According to Behkami and Daim(2012), the adoption of the health information technological systems has greatly helped in reducing medical errors such as ordering and wrong medication dosage errors improving healthcare safety. As a result, it is possible now for healthcare providers to be able to access information easily and share it with ease to the patients improving care. Health care organizations have been able to save more money by improving healthcare efficiency using the engineering innovations.
Negative impacts
However, despite the benefits associated with the adoption of these systems, serious unintended results from their utilization have emerged. Improper and poor system designs have resulted in EHR-related errors jeopardizing patient’s safety as well as the EHRs information integrity causing errors that have decreased the quality of care (Karsh et al., 618). These unintended consequences have increased abuse and fraud leading to serious legal implications on the affected healthcare facilities and organizations. As a result, patients have ended up losing their lives due to improper utilization of the systems.
Work citied
Behkami, Nima A., and Tugrul U. Daim. “Research Forecasting for Health Information Technology (HIT), Using Technology Intelligence.” Technological Forecasting and Social Change 79.3 (2012): 498–508.
Karsh, B T et al. “Health Information Technology: Fallacies and Sober Realities.” J Am Med Inform Assoc 17.6 (2010): 617–623.
