Danny Granatell Wal Mart IT to Improve Healthcare

Danny Granatell
Info Systems
11/23/2008
Wal-Mart Leading Team to Improve Health Care IT

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina several major companies in the United States began to see the need for a better health care information system. The devastating affects Katrina caused the loss of entire medical family histories in New Orleans and other areas of the country. As noted by Vice Chairman John Menzer, "Medical records, property records, court records were lost. Entire family histories -- medical, cultural, and otherwise -- were gone in an instant, and the entire region is still recovering from this massive loss of information." In response, Wal Mart pledged $1 million dollars over the next five years to develop an information system that could store medical records using information technology accessible through the Internet. The leading company, Wal Mart, is working closely with the University of Arkansas and Blue Cross Blue Shield to develop a fully functional database that will store medical records with real time access at any part of the country. This will allow for more efficient and better medical care, as doctors and pharmacists will be able to look up the medical history of a patient via the Internet instead of paper files. The designers also hope that the system will enable them to track the procurement and distribution process to significantly reduce costs and “streamline” operations. They also hope that the system reduces the likelihood of shipping errors that bring unexpected costs. As a result of the reduction in costs, the companies plan to lower the prices of generic prescriptions and drugs for the benefit of the consumer. The system will not only grant people easy access to their medical histories for personal use, but also reduce the costs of medicine enabling less wealthy people more access to these drugs.
In my view the development of such an information system would greatly reduce the inefficiencies that occur in medical practice. Imagine if your medical history was accessible through a database over the Internet. Doctors would have easy access to medical records that would allow them to make quicker and more efficient diagnoses. It would diminish the need for traditional file records, as medical histories could be stored through an online database. The system would also help out college students. I can remember the hassle it was as an incoming freshmen to track down documentation of medical records that were scattered over many hospitals and states. If the system were enabled then I easily could have downloaded my file online and sent it to the health center on campus. In other instances a health care information system would also be useful in the case of serious accidents in which little information is known about the patient. A patient knocked on conscious cannot provide doctors with information regarding what they are allergic to. The new healthcare information system would allow doctors to look up the patient’s medical file and provide the proper medical treatment. The system not only makes medical practice more efficient, but also limits mistakes and errors that could be costly.