Leveraging Devices, Data and Discovery for Smarter Healthcare in Japan

OBJECTIVES: Over the past decade, hospitals and clinics have gradually adopted hospital information systems, including provider order entries and electronic health records. Although these systems have helped to improve patient safety and efficiency of healthcare providers, not all healthcare providers and patients are satisfied with the current situation. Healthcare should be smarter. Thus, there is a need for state-of-the-art medical and healthcare devices that can handle massive amounts of data with the help of sophisticated information processing and discovery technologies. METHODS: This article compares hospital information systems with the information systems of other social infrastructures. It also explores the possibilities of smarter healthcare, including personal health devices and personal health records with interoperability. RESULTS: The main traits of the iEHR at Teikyo University Hospital in Tokyo include IT governance, unification, and workflow efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Smarter healthcare can be achieved by leveraging the full capabilities of devices, data, and sophisticated algorithms.