Communication ; Information Technology

The definition of technological progress is an improvement in the ability to use the factors in the production of goods and services.

That is, technological progress is an advance in the technical efficiency with which resources are combined in production. In contrast to factor accumulation, technological progress is an increase not in the quantity of the factor of production, but in the ability to transform the existing ones into output. That is, the ability to produce more output with given inputs or fewer inputs for a given output. Communication is the backbone of interacting with other people.It is imperative to have effective communication because unclear messages lead to poor results. The definition of communication is the act or process of communicating; it is also the exchange of ideas, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, or writing. To communicate is to express one-self effectively.

(1985, p. 299) Effective communication is of one the toughest issues today. With the advancement of technology, it has opened many ways of communicating. We live in the communication world of cellular phone, faxes, video conferencing, Internet connection and many more.The combining of technology and communication brings immediacy, integration, access and collaboration. Although we have access to all of this, has these instruments made communication better or worse? I believe that technology and communication is great, the problem falls with the users of these wonder devices. We are letting technology control us instead of us controlling technology.

Man has created and stepped into the advanced world of technology and the use of these devices have become overpowering.Living in a world of instant results many of these new technological tools have become lifesavers for day-to-day activities. We now have immediate access to many things. People and businesses are communicating globally without making travel arrangements. With the push of a button we are making important transactions. Because we have the capability of getting fast results we do not take out time to ensure accuracy. People, businesses, and countries are networking in fast pace world technology.

These new methods of communication are building relationships.Higher-level management is able to interact with offices in different locations. Technology has given us the capability to target common society and build relationships. Communication technology must be used in some form within today’s organizations. Companies can no longer function effectively without the use of some type of communication technology. From e-mail, intranet, Internet, teleconferencing, cell phones, fax machines, and voice mail, organizations have overcome some of the limits with face-to-face communication. Eisenberg, Goodall, 2004) In the hospital setting, many forms of communication technology are used.

Doctors will fax patient orders to the various departments and medical reports will be faxed to physicians upon completion. Many of the phones within the hospital have voice mail so messages can be left either internally or from outside the organization. The majority of the computers also have Internet access, which is monitored by Web Sense. Teleconferencing is a form of communication the laboratory is beginning to utilize.It has been used for continuing education and to help answer questions regarding the implementation of the Laboratory Information System. It is not unreasonable for a patient to expect particular services from their healthcare providers. What happens when you are traveling and have to make a trip to the emergency room, will your physician at home get all the information from that visit or will the ER physician have access to your medical history? This is a real life problem that I had to encounter some years in the past with my ex-wife while on vacation.

With that said, medical information recorded in paper format makes these tasks very difficult, if not impossible. “Fortunately, there is a growing movement to change that, using electronic information technology. ” The use of this type of technology allows for “high-quality, safe, well-coordinated, and efficient care. ” Society today is ever changing; we change jobs, location of residence, and doctors frequently. Many of our doctors and hospitals remain stuck in the medical Stone Age.While people speak of a medical “system,” American medicine is in fact very unsystematic: it lacks standards, measures, and the ability to exchange information that constitutes a true system. The medical industry has taken to every kind of clinical technology; from digital thermometers to CT scanners.

However, the adoption of information technology in the medical industry lags behind the rest of our economy. Technology is one of the highest cash outlays for medical facilities as it plays a highly important role in the healthcare industry as almost every department in the system depends heavily on information systems.Administration departments rely on technology in areas such as purchasing, inventory control, accounts payable, payroll, and financial reporting. Clinical areas depend heavily on technology, including imaging, physician order entry systems, and pharmaceutical distribution, among many others. New technology is constantly evolving in the medical field, and is a large cost for hospital systems as they are forced to stay current not only from a competitive standpoint, but also for higher quality care, and increased patient safety.Studies have shown that hospital organizations dedicate 20-30% of the annual capital budget to IT expenditures; however this is the largest test of management’s abilities, as healthcare technology comes with a high price tag as well as a high failure rate. Even so, current technology is a necessity in this industry as the end results of enhanced patient safety, decreased medical error and overall cost reduction are not areas that a system can overlook.

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