The Importance of Innovation in Today’s Healthcare System

The Canadian healthcare system has experienced a plethora of innovations that have aimed to not only enhance the life expectancy of patients, but to also enhance the quality of life and treatment options. Streamlining administrative duties for cost effectiveness has also been a goal of the healthcare system. Information technology has played a very important role with the innovation of healthcare systems around the world. Although there has been a surge in innovation, the same cannot be said for theoretical research and the science behind the innovation.

Innovation in Canadian healthcare has continued to be the force that drives the quest to find the balance between quality healthcare and cost containment. Innovation is considered a critical part of competitive survival and business productivity. When there is technological innovation, it opens the door for product and process innovation. Product innovation is the lifeline of any business, including healthcare. These innovations provide the means for the business to generate income.

The Faulty Paper System

As many MHA online graduates are aware, medical science has made significant advances over the past 50 years, but the paper system that it runs on is antiquated. The paper system of maintaining patient records has halted the ability for online MHA healthcare workers to access the information they need to provide accurate patient care.

Patient information has been commonly held in a static paper system, but paperwork is prone to costly mistakes. Canadian healthcare systems can realize almost immediate savings by using software and electronic programs for patient records and other types of data management.

What is the Definition of Innovation?

Innovation can be best described as ‘something new or different that is introduced’. This is the definition that most researchers accept, and product inventors refer to this definition as well. In line with the definition, any innovation that occurs in a healthcare organization is either:

• A new service
• A new way of completing tasks
• A new technology

From the view of the patient, these innovations should improve their health and/or reduce the amount of pain they suffer due to an illness.

A disruptive innovation is known by healthcare administrators as an innovation that causes disorder to the older system. It creates new markets and opportunities while marginalizing the older ones.

With significant improvements to network security, the opportunity and time to revolutionize the healthcare system has never been better. Images can now be captured and transmitted all over the world. There are several ways IT will revolutionize the healthcare system:

• Better opportunity for offshore services
• Drug safety monitoring on a larger scale
• Better quality of information to patients and doctors

Labor Challenges

The shortage of nurses and other health practitioners in Canada helps to advance the argument even further that innovation is needed in healthcare. In fact, the situation has been exacerbated by the expected increase in retirement over the next decade.

As organizations continue to look for ways to control the spending in the Canadian healthcare industry, the need for innovation is even more critical to increase the quality of care.