An Internet Revolution –
The modern Internet applications of today are coordinating health services, transforming the way health information is obtained and even how health care is delivered.
Provider and payer organizations are now turning to the internet as a means of applying managed care activities and conducting administrative functions. Provider Group practices are building web sites that are adding value to their patient services
In this modem era anything is possible, if ideas can be imagined then they can be implemented. Integrated health delivery systems around the country are building advanced telemedicine networks. Newly generated health portals provide a myriad of opportunities by offering endless streams of information, services, applications and links.
The importance of today’s internet goes well beyond just information technologies because it is pushing behavioral health services far behind when it comes to use of electronic automation, since many low-cost applications can make their delivery systems simpler and less expensive. For behavioral health services to gain momentum they will have to embrace the notion there’s a digital transformation of medicine underway – and it’s a race they must engage in for survival. Similar to banking, airlines, and computer systems it is now behavioral health’s turn to finding new streamlined methodologies for providing care.
Perhaps the greatest change is the continuing move towards paperless systems of information management by utilizing computer based patient records. While there have been cost and technical issues blocking progress in the past, many of these initial difficulties have been minimized with the adoption of electronic patient records.
While Leadership by the state governments has clearly moved in the right direction, there has been little recognition by local substance abuse programs of the inherent advantages in moving to similar technologies. To date, only a small numbers of programs have made serious moves towards effectively using electronic health records. Although the move to paperless systems may not actually happen the demand for computer based patient medical records is apparent with all major medical providers actually now utilizing these technologies.
For the most part the greatest source of public health information now comes from the internet. With this source of new knowledge this newly educated public has become more aware of medical advances and has an improved ability to evaluate the quality of behavioral services provided to them.
