The arena of Primary care in the US is all poised for a complete makeover. Suddenly it seems to have discovered the lost ground – thanks to government regulations and compliance standards such as the ICD-10 and allied.

Role of EHRs:

Past trends have portrayed the field of Primary care involving a physician and a patient. That situation has changed with the explosion of new medical knowledge, technological breakthroughs and ever-growing number of specialties.  An important technology innovation within primary care is the emergence of electronic health records (EHRs) paving the way for maintaining patient data in digital forms and simplifying referral programs.  An illustrative case is that of the UCSF and San Francisco General Hospital which has developed an e-Referral system among providers making patient exchange easier and convenient. Implementation of ‘Meaningful use’ of EHRs is another prudent step taken by the government although there are issues pertaining to non-standardization of EHRs. The Affordable Care Act is designed on the premise that basic preventative care will keep people healthier and thereby help save money over time.

The New Order – Artificial Intelligence :

 Till date PCs have driven the trend of personal computing. Today’s smart devices hold tremendous potential in the areas of data security and tele-health. Apple has taken the first leap into the arena of artificial intelligence thus opening a new path of interaction between the devices and the users. This has redefined the term “user interface”.  When Apple introduced the iPad in January 2010, hardly anyone took notice of the productivity it was able to deliver. But soon, software developers started creating productivity enhancing tools thus making it a serious business consideration. According to Oliver Bussmann, the CIO of software giant SAP, “Mobile apps and real-time information will drive new behaviors for decision making.” He considers Mobile apps as ideal tools to access information at any time to speed up the overall decision making process and expects the number of physicians using these devices to grow faster.

Other technology innovations that transformed the traditional primary care model rely on the web. It has increased the frequency of physician/patient interactions, even more than the real-time clinic visits and consultations. Today there are providers like Hello Health, a New York based provider which offers online consultations through video messages and online chat between patients and physicians. Robotic technology is another method of treating patients from remote locations. Artificial intelligence rendered through smart devices will open unlimited possibilities for the technology of tomorrow in the area of healthcare and primary care in particular.

Moving Ahead:

 Innovations in the areas of technology are in the process of changing the face of primary care today. Soon smart devices and artificial intelligence will bring the next evolution of computing in primary care and the day is not too far when these devices start interacting with us and providing specific values. We are fortunate enough to live in one of the most technologically innovative eras. It is important that we make use of this opportunity to ensure that the continuous flow of these new technological advancements and innovations take place uninterruptedly.