Why Data Connectivity To Traditional IT Systems And EHRs Should Be A Priority In Your Next-Generation Medical Device Designs

...Another major area that’s lacking in medical devices, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Top Health Industry Issues of 2014 report, is that of electronic health records (EHRs), health IT, and patient data connectivity. According to PwC, only about 18% of device companies integrate data into clinical workflows and EHRs — this means there’s a very nice opportunity for upstarts and savvy incumbents. Any vendors that focus on device integration and data connectivity from devices into traditional health IT systems like EHRs and billing systems will have a unique offering that customers will elevate during their product selection process.

Medical devices generate an enormous amount of data on a routine basis, but most of that data is discarded needlessly — simply because data connectivity and device integration is an afterthought. When valuable data is discarded, it not only means that patient data isn’t available for future use, but it’s also very likely that device vendors are leaving millions of dollars in revenue on the table.

Why would customers want your device data to go into their EHRs and other IT systems? Here are some important reasons:

• The Medicare Shared Savings program, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, or “Obamacare”), and the rise of medical homes have given more weight to value-based reimbursements. In the new world order your device’s customers have to understand their costs much better. That means they need to know not just what your devices costs, but how much they are utilized and what their contributions are to the outcomes of a patient’s care...