There is a need for significant overhaul of current medical information technology to better support the complex processes of healthcare delivery.   Novel process management paradigms will create solutions that span the breadth and depth of healthcare continuums from high volume high throughput automation to  ad hoc decisions at the bedside supported by sophisticated decision support knowledge bases.

The promise of individualized or precision medicine requires an unprecedented level of attention to detail from the complexity of molecular analysis to an evolving understanding of physiological systems. Modern information technology systems will integrate knowledge of pathology at the molecular level through management of the entire patient care system from crisis intervention to daily personalized wellness care.

Next generation IT must support change and innovation while helping to manage the details of day- to-day  work,  tailored  care,  immediate and longer term interventions, while incorporating the latest developments in basic science.   The move to new paradigms of health science cannot be achieved without transformative new information tools to support translational science from discovery of new medical insight to delivery of new methods of care.  IT approaches must be designed and implemented to support and scale from molecular medicine to physiologic measurements.   There are many gaps in today’s healthcare information systems that involve workarounds and middleware “patches” that result from a lack of an integrated bottom up design

Next generation systems must deliver a heightened integrated ability to capture and manage the complex interwoven streams of data and processes. The penultimate process management software system will have to evolve from linked legacy databases, integrated novel knowledge bases, robotic systems, and diagnostic tools.   New process management technologies that have proven successes in other industries will be discussed in light of their application to transforming the current health care system.

See-B-Harten’s-Presentation-Integrated-Process-Management Information-Technology

View an interview with B Harten