Majd Alwan, Ph. D.
Director, Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)

NextGenWeb recently hosted a Webinar titled “Learn How Broadband is improving the Aging Experience for America’s Seniors & Increasing Access to Quality Care Through Health Information Technology.” I was joined on the speakers panel by Tom Soroka, the VP for Engineering & Technology at USTelecom; Nancy Johnson of the Health IT Now coalition; and Thomas Berg, General Manager of Strategic Relations Information Systems at Wisconsin’s Marshfield Clinic.

Tom Soroka, VP Engineering & Technology at USTelecom kicked off the session by introducing the Internet as an “interconnected network which stretches across the globe”. Tom emphasized that the internet thrives because of “private investment, competition, and innovation.”

Nancy Johnson reviewed some of the major initiatives Health IT Now is currently pursuing with partners such as The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Diabetes Association and Consumers for Competitive Choice.  She noted that an estimated 20.8 million Americans have diabetes, costing America about $174 billion a year.  Health IT increases early diagnosis and improves treatment, bettering quality of life and increasing lifespan for those individuals.  She called on Congress to pass a Health IT bill this year to help make these benefits possible.  To see her presentation click here.

Tom Berg gave a detailed presentation about the tremendous progress Marshfield Clinic has made with its three tiered strategy to (1) establish its Biomedical Informatics Research Center as a nationally recognized center for biomedical informatics research and development; (2) engineer electronic medical record software that provides safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient centric care; and (3) commercialize Marshfield’s software development.  Marshfield Clinic is one of the largest private, multispecialty group practices in the United States, with 779 physicians in 80 medical specialties and subspecialties located in over 40 centers throughout northern, central and western Wisconsin and much of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Tom showed a number of screen shots of the Web-based records system that Marshfield is using to move to a “chartless” mode incorporating broadband-based computing. The clinic reports cost savings of $4.50 over the old manual system every time an electronic record is “pulled.”

I briefed the group on some of the trends we are following at CAST, the Center for Aging Services Technologies, where we are working to expedite the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies, which could benefit from broadband, that can improve the aging experience.  During the Webinar, I walked everyone through our “Shift Left Through Technology” paradigm.  This seeks to move a rapidly aging population from high acuity care settings, like hospitals and emergency departments (on the right side of the chart), to more home-based environments that make full use of telemedicine and remote monitoring (the left side).  If we’re successful, we will provide first-rate care at a much more affordable level.  Check out the CAST case studies that explore how technology, including broadband, has the potential to transform aging.

The Webinar reminded us all that new technology utilized over broadband can offer great promises to improve the quality of care while reducing healthcare costs.  It’s time now for technology to transform the experience of aging, the same way it has transformed other sectors and our daily routines. 

To watch an archived version of this Aging Experience & Health IT Webinar click here.