Technology revolution becoming visible in health care

The music and publishing industries have been transformed by the technology revolution. Some signs are appearing that technology might remake health care.

The Wall Street Journal article, Midlevel Health Jobs Shrink, reports that several trends are reducing opportunities for people in health care with midlevel skill sets.

Here’s a great summary in the article:

Automation, outsourcing and other forces have eliminated many formerly secure jobs in manufacturing, clerical work and other fields. Now health care is following the same path with unforeseen speed.

The article says that at one end cost pressures are pushing hospitals to move work to staff with lower skills while at the other end of the skill spectrum the entry requirement for some positions, such as nursing, is moving up. The tech revolution is one part, but it is a part:

The shift to electronic medical records, meanwhile, has eliminated many traditional jobs maintaining patient records but has created a wealth of new opportunities for those with coding skills.

One of the difficult transition issues will be getting people from the jobs that are going away into the new jobs that will develop:

The shift to electronic medical records, meanwhile, has eliminated many traditional jobs maintaining patient records but has created a wealth of new opportunities for those with coding skills.

That transition will be the painful part of the tech change – it will be a difficult transition for many and some will not be able to make the jump. Helping people make that transition will be a major challenge for us as a society and for businesses & government.

Technology is a part of increasing the bar to get a position. Consider the technology change that drives and allows tracking of outcomes:

At the same time, the increasing complexity of medicine, along with an increased focus on measuring and improving patient care, has raised the bar on educational requirements for some jobs.

I perceive the technology revolution in health care is barely getting started.

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