As we embark on a journey of technology change, there is a new focus and a new approach to managing enterprise IT. The title of “Chief Information Officer” came into existence in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the main responsibility of keeping the “lights” on. I even recall when the technology department was called data processing with the role of crunching numbers and keeping the mainframes alive. CIOs of the 1990s would function more as the IT managers of today. The focus for the next generation CIO involves being strategic, influential, and innovative while also making sure the “lights” are on.
The focus for the next generation of CIOs will have the core focus of Mobile, Big Data, Cloud, and Social which is what I call the four pillars of IT. Gartner calls these four pillars the nexus of forces and it is the core focus of every technology vendor in the market. Let’s look into the four pillars and apply them to the healthcare setting.
Mobile: We are embarking on an era where consumers rely on mobile devices as portable computers. Every other industry provides a mechanism for consumer interaction through their mobile devices. When was the last time you had to go to a bank to deposit a check? When was the last time you went into a travel agent’s office to make a flight reservation? Every industry is emphasizing providing a customer experience using mobile devices and healthcare is trying to catch up. The new generation of consumers prefers to see a doctor virtually and if possible on their mobile devices. Physicians and clinicians will need access to vital patient information on demand and preferably through a mobile device. We are moving towards an era of “Mobile Only” where people will start a task on one mobile device and possibly finish the task on a different mobile device so every CIO must start thinking about providing the platform to allow that experience.
Big Data: Big Data has been the latest buzzword and healthcare is one of the best places to use Big Data to solve problems. Let’s step back and think about the traditional method of running a hospital. It used to be a numbers game where the hospital’s goal was to keep their beds full with as many patients as possible. The high patient census translates into revenue. With the new regulatory requirements and reimbursement models, I believe the future strategy of hospital management is to keep patients away from coming to the hospital and provide mechanisms for preventative medicine to keep the cost of healthcare low. This is where Big Data can come into play. We can use various data sources to predict the clinical outcome or better yet predict the behavior of a patient and help provide the patient with information to live a healthier lifestyle. The collaboration and information sharing between hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, and other areas allow the healthcare vertical to provide relevant information to reduce overall healthcare costs and increase the quality of healthcare for the citizens.
“We are moving towards an era of “Mobile Only” where people will start a task on one mobile device and possibly finish the task on a different mobile device”
Social: Social is one area that healthcare can utilize tremendously. My view on social is that it is a great tool internally within the organization and externally with the rest of the world. Social media is an excellent tool to use for communication; it allows me to use it internally to communicate with all of the staff within my department and within the organization. If used correctly it can be a morale booster for an organization by increasing employee engagement. My view is that a healthcare organization can truly separate itself if it uses the combination of Social and Big Data. A perfect example is that we are working towards managing population health and keeping people out of the hospital. One factor that will be useful is to monitor the social activities of potential patients and intervene to assist the consumers in making an informed health decision. Let’s consider the use case of a 43-year-old female former patient who is overweight with a history of hypertension and was treated at the hospital. If the hospital monitors the social space and identifies this former patient who just posted on Facebook that she is going to eat at Burger King, a subtle message can be sent to the patient classifying either the healthier choices on the menu or even recommending another restaurant close by along with a few other facilities that she can use for exercise. Social is truly an aspect of the arena that has not been adopted by healthcare and we need to start treating the patients as a customer and provide the necessary service that is out there from other verticals.
Cloud: Cloud is a great area for CIO. Our role has changed where we must align with business strategy and we must move away from managing commodities. Infrastructure is one area that CIOs must let go of and start transitioning to the cloud. It is a huge culture shift since traditional IT employees like to be hands-on. I feel safe with my infrastructure in the cloud because I know that the cloud providers will provide better service at a lower cost than what I can put together internally. The usage of the cloud is to transfer the commodity technology to a vendor and also shift the risks as well as why the CIO and the IT department focus on solving business problems utilizing technology. The roles of the CIO will continue to evolve but with the fundamental principles of the four pillars, it will establish the core components moving forward.
