A few months later, I was invited to observe the daily workflow of a medical practice. Afterwards, I realized how much help their office needed due to the complete lack of information flow within the practice. While I was taking care of their basic computer needs, my curiosity regarding the medical industry was piqued. I did some research and found some startling statistics:
According to the Commonwealth Fund Commission, the US is experiencing 100,000 to 150,000 preventable deaths on an annual basis and spending $100 billion per year needlessly on healthcare.
Every year, 20 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed, 7.5 million unnecessary medical or surgical procedures are performed, and 8.9 million unnecessary hospitalizations occur. Nearly 1% of patient charts are misplaced or lost on an annual basis.
I believed in my heart I could help improve the state of the medical industry by providing cutting-edge, innovative solutions for healthcare providers. I was initially accused of trying to start a non-profit organization; however, I felt that if I did the right thing, rather than make an easy sale, a successful business would eventually follow. I am extremely proud of having founded a company that became one of the first value-added resellers to offer electronic medical records.
That company has grown and matured, and remains at the forefront of the electronic healthcare revolution by offering e-prescribing, patient portal access, telemedicine, and cloud-based solutions. I strongly support and believe in doctors breaking away from the monopolies of hospitals and large groups to start their own practices, and I would like to give you all the tools you need to succeed in your business.
My name is Robert Gabriel, and on behalf of my team I welcome you to the premiere issue of Practice of the Future magazine!
