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The Use of Global Electronic Health Records
- Healthasion
- Feb 6, 2021
- 3 min read
Over the last five years, the maternal mortality rate in the United States increased by 167% as a result of a delay in deciding for, reaching, and receiving care. Despite its status as a high-income country, the U.S. has not been able to implement effective healthcare systems that could potentially lower maternal morbidity, whereas low to medium-income countries (LMIC) such as India, Uruguay, and Ethiopia have had better maternal healthcare systems. This is partly due to the fact that the LMIC are able to frugally create cost-efficient products that target their needs without having strict regulations on patient data privacy. In today’s world of flourishing technology, it is easier than ever for confidential patient data to fall in the wrong hands. Because of this, most high-income countries such as the U.S. have taken an initiative to regulate the type of data that is shared by healthcare systems which may also restrict the healthcare institutions from effectively comparing and using it for better patient outcomes. Many healthcare technology companies do not even open up their markets to LMIC. This is a result of its perceived low-profit margin and the assumption that they will not be able to support the systems they provide, ultimately forcing these countries to create solutions for themselves (“A New Battleground: Why Health Care Companies in Low and Middle-Income Countries Will Challenge Today's Market Leaders”).
A study by the Indiana University of Informatics, Computing, and Medicine identified the effects of specific technological and informatics implementations done by LMIC and their positive impact on maternal health. They tested technological solutions for the following five challenges that both the United States and LMIC face: (1) lack of trained staff, (2) limited access to care, (3) limited sense of ownership of healthcare information, (4) lack of community support, and (5) gaps in patient education. They found that mobile health improved relations with health information systems and empowered community workers in healthcare delivery which were the main factors that addressed the maternal health outcomes (Kasthurirathne). Additionally, medical informatics are essential parts of telehealth. Some barriers the U.S. faces in executing telemedicine include the lack of physical infrastructure and financial, legal, and healthcare policies. According to passages from the Affordable Care and American Recovery and Investment Acts, these barriers are slowly coming down, increasing the potential for telehealth to be a success. Telehealth has also been able to lend itself for use on mobile devices with low bandwidth, which proves to be useful to those who may be financially incapable to keep up with the latest technology.
This study also showed that the relationships within health information systems have improved maternal health outcomes, as the collaboration between everyone involved and the whole community is needed in order to address possible social determinants and develop the perfect solution to healthcare problems. As a clinical informaticist from UT Southwestern mentioned in an interview, collaboration within healthcare is the best way to learn more about a patient and treat them for the most desirable outcome. Traditionally, the United States’s healthcare delivery is known for its rigid health infrastructure, workflows, and provider-centric care. With changing times, solutions in informatics will be expected to play a crucial role in integrating patients and communities into the healthcare delivery process, as well as informing and empowering others to take action into their own hands.
References
A New Battleground: Why Health Care Companies in Low and Middle-Income Countries Will Challenge Today's Market Leaders. (2019, October 21). Retrieved from https://nextbillion.net/health-care-firms-in-lmics/
Kasthurirathne, Suranga N et al. “Overcoming the Maternal Care Crisis: How Can Lessons Learnt in Global Health Informatics Address US Maternal Health Outcomes?.” AMIA ... Annual Symposium proceedings. AMIA Symposium vol. 2017 1034-1043. 16 Apr. 2018
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