Proposal for an IT Related Project to Help Ecuador
Problem
The health services in Ecuador are extremely poor. Ecuador needs to spend more money on health related services like hospitals and doctors offices. There are 1.48 physicians/1,000 population, which ranks 81st amongst other nations. There are 1.5 beds/1,000 population, which ranks 123rd amongst other nations. The death rate is at 5.01 deaths/1,000 population, which ranks 184th among other nations. They spend 5% of GDP on health, which ranks 140th amongst other countries. Ecuadorians are at a high risk to be infected by a major disease such as HIV/AIDS, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, and leptospirosis. The life expectancy is 75.94 years, which ranks 83rd amongst other nations. The infant mortality rate is at 19.06 deaths/1,000 live births, which ranks 100th amongst other nations.[2] All of these rates and statistics signify that Ecuadorians are not getting the proper treatment they need and also do not have enough reliable health services in place. Not all of these problems can be solved through the advancement of Information Technology, but they can be helped.
Solution
Implementing IT in health services can solve some of health problems in Ecuador. In order for this to happen there must be more funding allocated to health services. The technology in hospitals needs to be upgraded by making everything electronic. All the patients records, information on a patient’s demographics, medicinal information, doctors information, schedules, medical history, nurse notes, and follow up orders need to be stored in a database where it is easily accessible.[5]
E-prescribing is a service that can be implemented. This involves prescription orders that clinicians input electronically, which are then transmitted to the pharmacy. This would help save people that are sick time and could get their medicine faster. Electronic prescribing would eliminate the errors in handwriting prescriptions so patients can get the right medicine. Another service would be to have an electronic lab test ordering system, which would allow clinicians to review results quicker. Another service would be to make electronic images available throughout a hospital so that doctors would be able to diagnose patients from anywhere. [6] All of these IT services can help speed up the process when treating patients and would help the health problems of Ecuador.
A business-to-business model would be appropriate to implement this solution. This is because this solution is focusing on how the hospital can implement its own services to help its patients. The hospitals can only help themselves by getting IT services and ideas form other hospitals from around the world.
The health services in Ecuador are extremely poor. Ecuador needs to spend more money on health related services like hospitals and doctors offices. There are 1.48 physicians/1,000 population, which ranks 81st amongst other nations. There are 1.5 beds/1,000 population, which ranks 123rd amongst other nations. The death rate is at 5.01 deaths/1,000 population, which ranks 184th among other nations. They spend 5% of GDP on health, which ranks 140th amongst other countries. Ecuadorians are at a high risk to be infected by a major disease such as HIV/AIDS, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, and leptospirosis. The life expectancy is 75.94 years, which ranks 83rd amongst other nations. The infant mortality rate is at 19.06 deaths/1,000 live births, which ranks 100th amongst other nations.[2] All of these rates and statistics signify that Ecuadorians are not getting the proper treatment they need and also do not have enough reliable health services in place. Not all of these problems can be solved through the advancement of Information Technology, but they can be helped.
Solution
Implementing IT in health services can solve some of health problems in Ecuador. In order for this to happen there must be more funding allocated to health services. The technology in hospitals needs to be upgraded by making everything electronic. All the patients records, information on a patient’s demographics, medicinal information, doctors information, schedules, medical history, nurse notes, and follow up orders need to be stored in a database where it is easily accessible.[5]
E-prescribing is a service that can be implemented. This involves prescription orders that clinicians input electronically, which are then transmitted to the pharmacy. This would help save people that are sick time and could get their medicine faster. Electronic prescribing would eliminate the errors in handwriting prescriptions so patients can get the right medicine. Another service would be to have an electronic lab test ordering system, which would allow clinicians to review results quicker. Another service would be to make electronic images available throughout a hospital so that doctors would be able to diagnose patients from anywhere. [6] All of these IT services can help speed up the process when treating patients and would help the health problems of Ecuador.
A business-to-business model would be appropriate to implement this solution. This is because this solution is focusing on how the hospital can implement its own services to help its patients. The hospitals can only help themselves by getting IT services and ideas form other hospitals from around the world.