MEDITECH Director Discusses Challenges of 21st Century Care at Industry Meetings
(9/27/2007)

In this new era of health care, providers must handle the dual challenges of treating a large number of aging, chronically ill patients while still controlling costs. Melissa Swanfeldt, director of marketing support at MEDITECH, recently addressed these issues while presenting at Mass Health Data Consortium's quarterly meeting and will do so again at the New Jersey HIMSS regional conference this month.

“These events are a great opportunity for me to discuss with customers some of the most pressing issues we’re all facing today,” she says. Swanfeldt explains that a few important statistics inspired her presentations, including US census data which suggests the population of people over 65 will double by 2030. She also cites the American Academy of Actuaries, which approximates that national health care spending (now already over $1 trillion) will reach $2.3 trillion by 2015.

“These are the two major factors driving health care in the 21st century: the increasing number of older patients who need long-term treatment, and the increasing costs associated with providing that care,” Swanfeldt says. “The good news is, nationwide initiatives like the EHR and interoperability movements are still evolving, and technology is making preventative care a realistic goal.

“I.T. is no longer a luxury only for large, prosperous health care systems. It’s a necessary, cost-effective solution to the hurdles all hospitals, both large and small, are confronting now.”

During her sessions, Swanfeldt also explained how new technologies – both in-hospital and in-home – can improve the quality of life for patients while enabling them to take more control over their own conditions and treatment. The key to improving community health while maintaining fiscal responsibility, she says, is patient involvement and access to information.

“Basic health maintenance can go a long way in preventing many life-threatening, not to mention expensive, trips to the ER. Whether it involves regular check-ups for patients with diabetes or remote monitoring of patients in the home, recent breakthroughs are making it possible to keep these at-risk patients healthier longer, while avoiding the most costly stages of care,” she says. “Effective chronic disease management strategies like these will likely play a critical role in improving medical care as we go forward.”

 

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