Technical paradigms for realizing ubiquitous care

Medical technology without coordination and without the right information available anywhere, any time, can only lead to results, that are inefficient, costly, and sometimes the wrong care for the patient. The most important lever to alter this situation is the use of healthcare information technology across the whole healthcare continuum: interoperable electronic records, electronic prescribing, clinical decision support, rules engines, workflow-based systems as well as a secure technical infrastructure. They are all a critical part of the solution and have the power to realize ubiquitous care. Together with the progress in medical technology, which provides for an earlier diagnosis and intervention, medical IT for process optimization will be the prerequisite to further improve the quality of care while reducing its costs.