Information Systems – the Customizable Disease Specific Moderator
The increased utilization of information systems and technology in enhancing personalized medical management once had its main focus in optimizing delivery of care beyond traditional healthcare delivery settings into environments where the patient would have increased access to treatment regimen. Another segment of healthcare delivery that is increasingly incorporated with personalized medicine is the implementation of disease management programs.
Many facets of information systems can be used to channelize efficiency and accuracy in merging the specialties of personalized medicine and disease management. Common modalities of personal medicine include a streamlined manner of prescription and intake of pharmaceutics, provider consultation, follow-up and review of treatment response, and intermittent modifications of treatment as required. Inherent to the dynamic and closely monitored advent of personal medicine, information systems serve as the conduit of clinical processing that enable the variability of a patient’s self-care. This conduit no longer needs to be limited to personal care, but can also serve as an effective connection that engages the patient in disease management programs, allowing for comprehensive short and long term treatment.
The Link Between Personal Medicine and Disease Management
Current modeling of disease management programs includes cooperation with an individual’s healthcare provider, employer, and community clinics. Common goals include maintenance and promotion of health, while preventing acute care episodes. With a robust perspective, the implementation of information systems in enhancing a patient’s disease management would range from adaptable processes that can be configured from personal computer systems to web-based systems.
Information Systems and Time Efficiencies of Patient Treatment
The incorporation of software applications, internet based interactive programs, and monitoring devices not only offers a systemic manner for a patient to manage diagnostic and pharmaceutical treatment, but also delineates the appropriate timely dissemination of all inherent treatment factors. Provider and payer systems may now view this time based therapeutic management as a bridge to chronic disease management programs through the creation of information channeling, based on architectural data capture, delivery, and storage. The link between personal medicine and disease management will evolve as patient care is monitored. The proficient use of information systems not only enables the proper continuation of patients currently engaged in disease management programs, but has the potential to engage patients not already enrolled in programs for chronic health management.
Have you integrated information systems into personal medicine? What about disease management?
