Dr. Alan Beyer: Technology costs a significant amount of money on the front end, so you have to evaluate it carefully and be discerning about it. In doing so, an ASC can receive major returns on investment on the back end. Things like digital x-rays are very expensive to install, but now there isn’t any cost for film, chemicals and all the other costs associated with conventional x-ray uses at our center.
The same applies with electronic medical records system. It always costs money to start up and it may cost some productivity while you’re in the beginning learning stages, but then you’re saving money over the long run. For example, I can remotely access a chart from my house if there is an emergency that arises with one of my patients. It also saves big money on supplies associated with being a paper-based facility. We have to smart about our technological investments and do critical appraisals. How is this new technology going to make me more efficient and help me deliver higher quality care? Physicians have to be businessmen. It’ll be the only way to survive in the future world.
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