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The Almighty Buck IT

Harvard Says Computers Don't Save Hospitals Money 398

Posted by kdawson
from the always-jam-tomorrow dept.
Lucas123 writes "Researchers at Harvard Medical School pored over survey data from more than 4,000 'wired' hospitals and determined that computerization of those facilities not only didn't save them a dime, but the technology didn't improve administrative efficiency either. The study also showed most of the IT systems were aimed at improving efficiency for hospital management — not doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. 'For 45 years or so, people have been claiming computers are going to save vast amounts of money and that the payoff was just around the corner. So the first thing we need to do is stop claiming things there's no evidence for. It's based on vaporware and [hasn't been] shown to exist or shown to be true,' said Dr. David Himmelstein, the study's lead author."
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Harvard Says Computers Don't Save Hospitals Money More

Harvard Says Computers Don't Save Hospitals Money

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  • Uggggghhhh (Score:3, Funny)

    by WiiVault (1039946) on Tuesday December 01 2009, @03:47AM (#30280314)
    Seriously having a centralized database won't save time tracking down something vs a massive filing "complex" in the basement? I'm sorry but that is just bullshit no matter what the study says. Thats like saying I would be better off with a folder full of images as opposed to Picasa and iPhoto to help manage. Perhaps the time spent would similar if I were a retard or a caveman unfamiliar with a PC. But I assumed people in the medical profession had some semblance of intelligence. At worst a computer should be no less effective, and hey it lets you sit on your fat lazy ass too!

  • Re:Let me explain... (Score:4, Funny)

    by denzacar (181829) on Tuesday December 01 2009, @05:12AM (#30280776)

    Good? For whom? Patients? Screw them!

    We are talking bottom line here sunny.
    And that bottom line better be in black and with plenty of big numbers.

    Now get out of my way, I have to practice my for the annual Doctor's Golf TournamentTM. It is for some charity or some other bullshit excuse.

  • Re:Transferability (Score:5, Funny)

    by wisty (1335733) on Tuesday December 01 2009, @05:54AM (#30281034)

    But what if it's in XML? It would inter-operate then.

    Or better still, a binary blob wrapped in XML. That would really make it easy to use!

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