21st century medicine is increasingly dependent on technology. Unlike many other areas, the cost of medical technology is not decreasing and its increasing use contributes to skyrocketing health care costs. Many medical professionals equate the progress of medicine with the increase in the use of sophisticated technology that is often expensive and out of reach of the average citizen. Pediatric heart care requires a lot of technology and is therefore very expensive and out of reach for the vast majority of children in the developing world.
There is an urgent need to address this situation by developing and using appropriate technology in accordance with the needs and priorities of society. Before adopting high-end technology, a series of simple and affordable quality measures must be instituted that have the potential to substantially improve results without the need for expensive equipment. Cost-reducing innovations that are commonly used in resource-limited environments should be systematically tested. Medical bill issuers and encoders update patient records with diagnostic codes (such as test results) and submit medical claims to insurance companies.
