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As more parts of our lives “go digital”, the collection of data related to our transactions, interests, and other preferences continues to grow exponentially.
Many commercial enterprises have demonstrated that the ability to manage and even monetize such data provides a powerful competitive advantage. In fact, it’s that principle of Digital Marketing which allows for the delivery of unique personalized experiences for consumers online. Our health data is no exception.
The health care industry has been criticized for being a laggard when it comes to tapping the wealth of information that’s often locked away in terabytes of stored data, both structured and unstructured, compounding with every insurance claim or provider interaction. That’s changing, however, as innovative solutions that have modernized industries like travel, financial services, and others are gradually being leveraged throughout the healthcare ecosystem.
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Recently, at the Adobe-sponsored State Healthcare IT Connect Summit, I met with executives from state and federal agencies as well as leaders of private sector health organizations to explore the key role of IT in identifying trends, cutting costs, and saving lives.
Three recurring use cases for transforming this accumulating data into actionable knowledge emerged during our meetings:
So what’s the difference between data and information? Usability, of course.
When the hidden value of “data” is unlocked by providing it in context – when and where it’s needed- then the magical result is “information” that be may put to good use.
Many of today’s health IT applications, from Personal Health Records (PHRs) to telemedicine, are based on that premise. But when it comes to sharing the highest resolution medical images in real-time, that capability has been traditionally reserved for select specialists in a hospital, like radiologists and cardiologists, who have access to special workstations and Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS).
After identifying such a critical gap, the founders of Client Outlook Inc. developed eUnity, a medical imaging integration and viewing solution for the enterprise, built on the Adobe Flash platform.
A version of eUnity was first showcased on a Blackberry Playbook at Adobe MAX 2010.
Since then, Client Outlook has iterated on the platform, bringing a version to standard desktops, where physicians may now rely on these images for diagnostic purposes. At the same time, the company extended the service in mobile and tablet platforms— on Android and more recently on iOS, where high-quality medical images can be shared and reviewed at the point of care.
Recently, I spent some time with Steve Rankin, Client Outlook’s President and CEO, at HIMSS 2011 and he explained some of the benefits of the Flash platform from a developer’s perspective. Overall, developers have found that working with eUnity is approximately 30 percent faster than using other technologies.
This compliant, Flash-platform based solution helps set new standards for displaying a wider range of medical imagery, along with related metadata, at higher resolutions on more devices with unmatched performance. And, more importantly, it empowers clinical staff to make informed, quick decisions about patient care anytime and anywhere.
Looking ahead, plans are already underway to extend eUnity from a standalone client-server solution to an even more robust platform, incorporating the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform to support highly automated workflows and further optimize the customer experience of providers who leverage this innovative solution.
As always, we’re interested in your thoughts and continuing the conversation on innovations in Health IT and otherwise. Keep in touch with us on Twitter @AdobeGov and our Facebook page.
