Incentives for Physicians to use IT

I found this article that related to the class discussion:

http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/financial-incentives-drive-physicians-adopt-technology

I think no matter what the industry is, people continue to have the same issues when it comes to IT.  A major issue in this article and in the CareGroup case we're about to discuss in class is the possibility of workflow disruption.  IT can be used to radically re-engineer business processes, the learning curve on technology does disrupt human nature's love of a routine.  You're forced to change the way things have always been done, which are now the most comfortable and the 'easiest'.  Until people are caught up to speed in the more efficient use of technology it can slow them down temporarily. 

Technology also has a significant upfront cost.  Physicians in this article were reimbursed for investment in electronic health record technology and penalized if they didn't.  Most of the physicians surveyed were motivated to adopt because of these rewards and penalties. 

While all people are naturally reluctant to change, if they are educated on how technology can improve their lives, productivity, and efficiency, then motivated and held accountable, resistance to change can be reduced.  The positive impact technology can have on lives will only be realized if people are influenced to accept it.

Business use of Social Media

I believe social media will eventually be the primary way that businesses connect with their customers.  I don't know the last time I watched a commercial the whole way through when it wasn't the Super Bowl.  Social Media is the most effective way the small business can grow.  Where print media (newspapers, magazines, etc.) are on their biggest declines and also very expensive for a small business, social media's free for businesses to connect with their customers and are very effective.  From being able to search who is talking about your company and what people are saying, it's also an effective way to gauge how your product is selling compared to the competition.  I believe it will only be a matter of time before large corporations really harness the power of what's available for them to leverage their brands online and really develop social media as the top advertising vehicle for business.

Technology is definitely changing everything...

Companies are forced to use technology and the internet everyday because what's worked in the past, works no longer.  Compared with 10 years ago, think of how much more time you spend on the internet and how much less time you spend watching TV.  Social Networking sites have become a new way of driving business that are different from the TV machine of the past.  Companies are constantly looking for new ways to send business to their locations and social networking sites seem to be part of the answer where TV and magazine ads have failed.

In addition, I can't remember the last time I had a cashier check me out at the grocery store.  Or spoke to someone behind the counter at the airport.  I'm using a self check-out and a self check-in while I had more time to update my facebook status in an effort not to speak to anyone in real life.  Am I upset that it's becoming less human?  Not really, these little interactions were never anything I looked forward too anyway.

On a side note, I'd say that google talk definitely has a chance to compete with Skype.  I'm not sure how many users are on Skype at the moment, but 1,000,000 calls in the first day of operation is no joke for a company that just started out with a technology.  I know I'm signing up for it and have never used Skype in the past.