President Obama’s economic stimulus package encourages the use of technology in our nation’s healthcare system. For this area of healthcare reform to become a reality, it requires unique partnerships between technology companies and healthcare providers.

Information technology (IT), or the sharing of critical information in a hospital, is one way to help transform America’s healthcare system. IT is essential in providing high-level, high-quality healthcare.

The partnership between technology giant Siemens and Alegent, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system, has begun to create a completely paperless communication system for hospitals. A paperless system increases patient care by providing an accurate record of a patient’s entire lifetime. Utilizing IT in healthcare has also proven to be more cost-efficient, accurate and less time consuming for both patients and physicians.

Going hi-tech has already improved the overall quality of care in areas of medication administration, allergies and immunizations.