This document discusses new technologies in health information technology including InstyMeds prescription medication dispensers, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), and IBM's Watson supercomputer. It summarizes a study where a woman with quadriplegia was able to control a robotic arm using a BCI implanted in her brain. The document argues that BCI technology could revolutionize healthcare by allowing paralyzed individuals to regain mobility. However, it also notes potential dangers if the technology was misused or malfunctioned. It concludes by outlining a new model for implementing health IT that focuses on compatibility, consumer education, cost reduction, and national expansion.

1. David Battle
Advanced Health Info

2. Connecting With HIT
NEW TECHNOLOGY
The health information technology field is a rather new industry as healthcare has
recently started transitioning into the digital age. New technology is created every day for this
field at an accelerated rate as it plays catch up to every other industry. Today’s technology
includes things like web and mobile applications that assist patients in diagnosing themselves
and managing their records. Also other technology exists such as vending machines that
dispense medicine for patients. Of this new technology there are a few that I believe will have a
greater than impact than others.
Instymeds otherwise known as the prescription
medicationdispenser is a technology that allows patients
to receive medicine from a doctor’s office 7 days a week
24 hours a day. It’s for patients who can’t make it to the
pharmacy at that moment so the machine will provide a
small amount of medicine for them until they can make it
to the pharmacy and get a full prescription. If a refill is
needed the patient can take their empty InstyMeds
bottle to the pharmacy and a refill will be provided.The
machine has the security of an ATM which will protect
against theft. It has simple instructions that the patient
will follow on the touchscreen. The patient then inserts
their card and the medicine is dispensed. Before the
patient can receive the medicine it has to be sent
electronically through ePrescribe which is just an electronic way to send prescriptions. The
provider can also print out an InstyMeds order form that the patient can take to the machine
and enter the code along with their date of birth. InstyMeds also accepts private and public
insurance so if the patient has insurance they can use
it to pay for their medicine.
Robotics have been thought to be the next
major player in healthcare but there has yet to be
any serious breakthroughs where it could prove
beneficial to a patient. Recently a new study on
brain-computer-interface (BCI) was done by the
University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine. The
study involves a robotic arm with seven axes of movement and Jan Scheuermanna

3. quadriplegicof over nine years. Her brain
was implanted with two quarter-inch
square electrode grids. The electrodes
have 96 tiny contact points for the area
of the brain that controls the right arm
and hand movement. The electrodes
pick up the signals sent by the brain and
moves according to whatever she is
thinking. It took a year of practice for her
to be able to move it freely. In the
picture you can see the patient eating a
candy bar held by the robotic arm.
Watson, a supercomputer created by IBM, can very well be the new beacon of light for
studies done on cancer. Watson is a collection of 90 IBM Power 750 servers. It has the ability to
process the data of 1 million books, analyze what it has looked at, and then give a precise
answer in less than 3 seconds. Its artificial intelligence system will study textbooks, oncology
studies, and medical records with the permission of patients. It’s essentially a decision support
system taken to a whole new level where basically it does all the thinking and decides the best
solution based on the studies conducted. The new technology has been proven efficient by
winning a game of the popular game show Jeopardy. IBM and WellPoint, a health insurer,
signed a deal to use Watson as a DSS to increase the quality of patient care and decrease the
associated costs.
REVOLUTIONIZINGHEALTHCARE WITH BCI
Imagine a world where long-time paraplegics, fallen soldiers, and the effects of naturally
occurring diseases like Polio don’t exist. The brain-computer-interface has the ability to
completely change the industry of healthcare and the life for individuals who cannot control
their limbs anymore. With more research and funding this technology could erase the
misfortunes of these individuals and give them a second chance at life. Right now the
University of Pittsburgh only has an arm but I could imagine people like Jan in full body suits
walking around like normal humans with simply thinking the thoughts of humans with regular
functioning bodies. The threat of paralysis would no longer be a threat. Soldiers, the people
who risk their lives and return home with blown off limbs, would have the ability to be mobile
once more. There would be no limit to what this technology could accomplish. I do not know if
this technology would cut costs which seem to be the only focus of the health field these days
but it’s not always about money. Sometimes it’s about helping people and this technology has
the potential to make a huge difference in healthcare. All the technology listed above has the

4. ability to make a difference in healthcare each taking their own direction and making a great
impact.
POTENTIAL DANGERS OF BCI
There are a few concerns with the use of this technology. The most important danger of
this technology would be the misuse of it if it were successful. If people had the strength of a
machine they could potentially use it to do harm to others or commit other crimes. Wearing a
metal suit on would make the person harnessing it nearly invincible compared to normal
humans. There’s also a chance that the machine could malfunction and cause damage to the
patient. As I see it though that really wouldn’t be much of a factor because I don’t think things
could get much worse than the current condition the person is already in.
THEBIG PICTURE

5. THE NEW PICTURE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Health Information Technology isgrowing industry providing jobs, new innovations, and
an opportunity to improve the overall quality of healthcare. With the development of new
technology such as Watson, a new type of DSS by IBM, which uses artificial intelligence to
diagnose and provide solutions for cancer patients as well as other technology that uses
robotics. The new robotics technology uses a brain-computer-interface method to collect brain
signals and use them to control the movements of the robotic arm. There’s also other
technology already being used by doctors in their offices like InstyMeds which medicine
dispensing machine they keep on site for patients to receive medicine immediately after their
appointment. Though I’ve mentioned these technologies I’ve barely scratched the surface of all
the available technology that’s helping move the healthcare field towards the ultimate goal of
good quality healthcare for a low price.
Since the introduction of technology into the health field the government’s aim was to
decrease the amount of spending on healthcare while increasing the quality of the care given.
Using the Big Picture as model to show how the implementation of technology into healthcare
will progress the government had a slight miscalculation of how things would turn out. They
had a great idea but didn’t account for the small but most important things such as
compatibility between EMR systems and the adoption of the new system. With adoption
missing from the equation the progress of the Big Picture has slowed to a turtle’s pace. As I
analyzed the old system I used my experience and knowledge to introduce a New Picture
Model that I think would work a little better than the old model. It has 4 steps with first
developing a EHR system that promotes compatibility between all systems no matter which
company made it. The most important part which I believe the first model failed at was
promoting knowledge of the new system. This includes teaching patients and providers about
the benefits of adopting the system and how to use the system for the betterment of
Adopt EHR
Systems
Promoting
Information
Exchange
Promote
Consumer
Knowledge of
New Systems
Work Towards
Cutting Costs of
Using the New
System
Spread the
Knowledge of the
Perfected System
Nationally

6. healthcare. As the system is perfected costs will start to decrease and quality will increase. As
things are perfected the new method can be spread out across the nation. This method would
work in the perfect world but since the world isn’t perfect there could be a few snags. Even
with those few snags it would work better than the old model has.