PRPOSED WORKING TITLE
Health Information System: A Repository Bank for Modelling and Simulating Health Outcomes for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Rationale
Over the years, much advancement in different spheres of life has been achieved using information technology. Man has been able to go to the moon, heavy objects have been able to fly and go deep into the oceans without sinking, communication across the planets has been made possible and the world has become a global village where everything seems in the reach of everyone.
In health and medicine, the advancement that has been accomplished in recent years with the benefit of information technology is highly significant. The growing influence of ICT in health has also led to the development of vibrant and robust health information systems and their management. As time, distance and place are becoming less relevant among individuals and institutions’, having a robust health information system is a crucial part of a modern healthcare system and facilitates the discovery and sharing of enormous amount of data for different people, places events and conditions. Among several conditions for which health information system data can and have been shared is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease which affects an estimated 15% of New Zealand people who are above 45yrs old.[1]
In an environment like New Zealand that is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes; where construction, rebuilding and
Respiratory Incorporated is need in an update in the healthcare database. What is needed is a system that is user friendly, self-explanatory, updates in real time, and can organize patient information securely. This system needs to be able to patient contact information; list patient name, date of birth/sex, primary physician(s) and team, home address and phone number(s), and email. Then list the patient medical information; diagnosis, chemistry, radiology, pathology, progress notes, treatment(s), and prognosis. The database also needs billing and coding section. There are two databases that have been researched and these are the findings.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the application of biomedical informatics in many aspects of the healthcare system. This is due to an increasing recognition that a stronger healthcare information system is crucial to achieve a higher quality care at lower costs1. Biomedical informatics is defined as “the scientific field that deals with biomedical data, information and knowledge-their storage, retrieval, and optimal use for problem solving and decision making.”2Biomedical informatics plays significant roles in the healthcare system and it has been applied in various ways in the healthcare system, specifically in the aspect of health care information system such as electronic medical record (EMR), personal health record (PHR), computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems, bar-coding medication administration systems, telemedicine, telehealth, and administrative information systems 2.
Thank you for mentioning health care IT system. As you stated, health IT system helps health care providers review patient's vital information, it also assists patients to be more informed with their health. As a patient and health care provider, I like to see my laboratory work-up and tests. The increased awareness will help me work toward a preventive solution. For example, if my cholesterol levels are borderline high, or my glucose is elevated, it will prompt me to find ways to prevent progression to diabetes. Staying on top of your health and keeping an open communication with your primary care physician will promote better outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Recent reforms in health care, such as the passage of measures mandating electronic health care records, make unified public health information systems an increasingly viable option for providers, insurance companies, and care facilities. An examination of the experience of the Missouri Department of Health indicates that the construction of such a system based on information engineering has a number of benefits but only if properly implemented with prudent foresight. Some of the most valuable lessons learned that can assist other health care providers with the implementation of a similar system include protecting client confidentiality, procuring funding, sharing information with other agencies, gaining executive sponsorship, and allocating a sufficient amount of time and resources to such an undertaking.
Implementation of Healthcare Information Technology potentially reduces cost yet, remains a continuous challenge. The adoption of improved healthcare infrastructure is compelling and significant barriers remain such as technical issues, cost, concerns about privacy and confidentiality, system interoperability and lack of well trained staff to lead the process (Palvia, Love, Nemati, & Jacks, 2012).
Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2009). Health care information systems, a practical approach for health care management. (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass Inc Pub.
This approach allows healthcare providers to review patient’s clinical data on remote settings, such as oxygen saturation or spirometry readings on a regular basis. Thus, deteriorations of health conditions can be detected early and aptly addressed. This approach may serve to improve patient self-management, enhanced clinical outcomes and the generation of a cost-effective intervention for chronic illness. In this study, COPD will be the subject of evaluation.
There are many components that required to building a successful framework for a new health information system. Some of these components include (1) better patient experiences through quality and satisfaction; (2) better health outcomes of populations; and (3) reduction of per capita cost of health care (Feldman, 2014, para. 3). Other designs include several levels of abstraction including mechanical (hardware), informational (software), psychological (person), and social (community). Such an inclusive approach is aimed at understanding interdependent linkages between increasingly complex social and technological components. Working together, these components consider social motivations and accomplish a set of social goals that otherwise
Demographic shifts in the global population, greater levels of technological disruption due to the Internet, social media and the en masse adoption of smartphones and tablet PCs are together re-defining the healthcare informatics market. System and informatics theories have emerged as the foundational elements of healthcare informatics supported by the Data, Information. Knowledge (DIK) Model which acts as a taxonomy for these developments (Haugh, 2005). Systems and informatics theories along with the DIK Model form the ontological foundations of healthcare informatics field of research occurring today and will continue to provide a basis for further research (Braganza, 2004). The intent of this analysis is to evaluate the contributions of systems and informatics, the role of the DIK Model, expert systems in nurse care and medicine, and the use of decision aids and decision support systems. All of these elements are critically important to strategic information systems plans healthcare providers put into place to serve patients while giving healthcare professionals the applications, systems and software they need to excel in their roles (Djellal, Gallouj, 2007).
The purpose of this article is to examine an innovative health information technology based approach that is tailored to educate families about pediatric obesity and the associated health behaviors. It discusses the importance of advancing and improving health by utilizing innovative methods, such as health information technology (HIT). HIT systems are technology-based structures that allow access and exchange of information, computerization and improvement of decision making, and facilitation of behavior modifications to encourage healthier lifestyles.
Health information management, also known as HIM, has been acknowledged as an allied health profession since 1928. HIM is a profession dedicated to the effective management of patient information and healthcare data needed to deliver quality treatment and care to the public. The original objective was to elevate the standards of clinical recordkeeping in hospitals, dispensaries, and other healthcare facilities (Sayles, 2014). Today HIM is known as the American Health Information Management Association or AHIMA. It still holds similar underlying purposes: to ensure the quality, confidentiality, and availability of health information across diverse organizations, settings, and disciplines (Sayles, 2014). HIM plays a critical role in the successful implementation of electronic health records and ensures that providers, healthcare organizations, and patients have access to the right health information when and where it is needed while maintaining the highest standards of data integrity, confidentiality, and security. It ensures compliance with legal mandates, but it has proven to be a challenge with the constant change in legislation and regulatory environment. Past surveys suggest that HIM plays some type of importance in accordance to HIPAA privacy and security compliance. In a 2006 AHIMA survey, members were asked about the progress of their organizations’ privacy and security compliance efforts. Margret Amatayakul & Mitch Work discuss those results in a 2007 journal article
Office of National coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has funded this program to find breakthrough innovations in the field of Health Information Technology (IT). This research program was awarded $60 million and this program is divided into four focus areas. This program brings together researchers, healthcare providers, and other health IT sector stakeholders in order to transform the research products into practice. This program is designed to improve quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare using advanced information technology. According to Healthit.gov “current adoption rates of health IT in different states we see that some states are better than others” [1], hence this program is designed to find the factors that are hindering the adoption of health IT and the products developed using this project should help propagate the growth of health IT. This program has both short-term and long-term related goals hence they focus both on current and future needs of health IT products. I have selected this program because it is important to understand the factors that are effecting healthcare practices health IT adoption and work towards analyzing and finding solutions to those problems, so that there is a 100% rate of adoption and data flow is seamless between the healthcare practices. This program helps keep the maintenance cost of the products developed to minimal as it focuses both short and long term needs. There are 4 focus areas to
“Management is the process of planning, controlling, leading, and organizing the activities of a healthcare organization or department within an organization” (Sayles Chapter 19). During my time at the health information management department at Lexington Medical Center, I observed some very useful management skills. There is a vast array of management techniques at the facility for various areas in the department. You have the participative style, the authorities style, pacesetting style, democratic style, etc. One positive note I should mention is that I did not observe any negative management that reinforces
Managing the performance of a facility data system or patient information is an important, yet challenging process for any manager. The process of monitoring what each employee does, how they are entering patient information, and how the information is used can be a difficult and somewhat challenging. A range of recently published research discussed the problems in many health information management services departments in various facilities and doctors offices. Management in that area is under trained and many feel that when dealing with patient information facilitators need to more aware of issues that are going on instead of sweeping them under the rug.
Health information systems (HIS) are complex and it is helpful to understand advantages and disadvantages to some key components of a HIS. This section will describe the advantages and disadvantages of usability, interoperability, scalability and compatibility.