Healthcare Information Systems Paper

The high cost of healthcare continues to rise and many in the United States are optimistic for health information technology to reduce and improve our current situation. Health IT encompasses a broad array of new technologies designed to manage and share health-related information. When properly implemented, these systems can help coordinate patient care, reduce medical errors, and improve administrative efficiency. Therefore, implementing a Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) will help the National Health Information Network (NHIN) achieve their goals in improving quality of care for the citizens of the United States. Thus, in order for the health IT to deliver on its promise, several obstacles must be overcome.

Background: The Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) identified five goals for adopting health information technology (HIT) into the current health care systems that would significantly improve healthcare in America. (Abdelhak, Grostick, & Hanken, 2012, p. 82) These goals will help improve the quality of care within the federal health system by reducing medical errors, cost, and duplication of workload.

EHRs can positively influence workplace efficiency and communication and improve productivity with better access to and organization of patient data (McGinn, et al., 2011). EHRs can improve operational efficiency by providing the capability of sharing of information within the practice. Additionally, health information can be shared with external health care organizations provided the proper interoperability infrastructure is in place. Physicians can access patient information anytime and anywhere the system is enabled, enhancing patient safety as well as quality and continuity of care, particularly for physicians on call or working at multiple sites. They also can have access to drug recalls or other alerts provided through the EHR.

A wave of medical errors and patient deaths caused by healthcare providers renewed the search for a viable EHR system in 2000. Electronic health records would allow "providers to make better decisions and provide better

The healthcare industry is in the midst of a major change from paper based medical record keeping to electronic medical record keeping. As part of the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was passed (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, 2014). HITECH is the U.S. Government’s first major contribution to the change from paper to electronic health information technology by setting meaningful use incentive program for Medicare and Medicaid providers that met certain requirements. Healthcare professionals that meet the meaningful use criteria will be awarded financially, and those that don’t meet the 2015 guideline will be penalized. We live in an electronic world of instant access to information and by adopting health information technology we give providers better and easier access to more information which in turn allows them to make a more informed diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient. The electronic health record (EHR) is part of the new information technology. According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (2014.), EHR’s provide many benefits such as improvement in the quality of patient care; improvement in the coordination of patient care; more accurate diagnosis and better outcomes; a higher level of patient participation in their own care; and cost savings for the practice

Resistance towards EHR systems tends to run high among physicians. The increase in the adoption of EHR in health systems has its challenges and concerns. Many physicians complain of negative impact on workflow, productivity disruption, and most importantly the physician-patient relationship. Earnest et al. (2004) concluded that physicians’ had initially thought information technology would be an obstacle to their workflow. Also, federal mandates with deadlines have created an environment where many physician practices have adopted an EHR strictly for compliance without any thought to the ongoing needs of the system (Porter, 2015). The EHRs that were quickly brought to market have been the source of ongoing frustrations and issues since they had the sole purpose of meeting

To improve healthcare in America, the Obama administration passed a law under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, to encourage the widespread use of Electronic Health Records (EHR). Under this act, Clinicians and hospital would receive incentives and reimbursement for the effective used of EHR in their practices. Electronic Health Records is an electronic version of a patient’s medical history that is maintained by the health provider over time. It includes relevant clinical data that is pertinent in improving quality of care, reducing medical errors and potential health care cost. For the purpose of this paper, two functions of EHR will be discussed: Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) and Clinical Decision Support (CDS) tools. These two support tools have the potential to greatly improve quality care and to reduce health care cost.

Implementing to electronic medical records has many benefits such as reducing medical record errors, accuracy, having medical record access immediately, reducing medication errors and improving patient care. Monetary incentives are given to providers who demonstrate meaningful use. For those who do not, they face reduction in reimbursement amounts. “In 2017, reduction in reimbursement is 3%.” (National Center for Medical Records, n.d.)

The EHR article explains the progress and the adaption of rates of EHR systems over the years. The article states there has been a slow participation in the EHR incentive program, but there has been a shown continue increase in implementation in provider settings of EHR in 2014. As for Physician and Hospital, there has not been a fast implementation. Many of these facilities are at only stage one of the meaningful use in 2014 about one out of five hospitals and only 38% of hospitals is at the second stage of meaningful use. There have been gains in the implementation of new EHR systems in 2014 there was a 75% adoption rate in 2014 compared to 61% in 2013 for hospitals and for physicians 62% plan to participate in the EHR

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).

Combined with data analytics, aggregate-level EHR enable examination and development of effective medicines and therapies for chronic diseases (Kohli & Tan, 2016). There are several forces that are driving many of the changes to the EHR including health and safety concerns with the number of preventable deaths from medical errors , a changing society, the internet, with an increasing amount of mobile patients, as well as government response (Gartee, 2011) The response to the IOM report was swift and positive, within both the government and private sectors (Gartee, 2011). The government responded with establishing a position of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “develop, maintain, and direct the implementation of a strategic plan to guide the nationwide implementation of interoperable health information technology in both the public and private health care sectors that will reduce medical errors, improve quality, and produce greater value for health care expenditures (Gartee,

The challenge to providers implementing EHRs and achieving meaningful use. The solutions to this challenge contains various tools, training, and the review of other success stories of providers that have been successful in the implementation. Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” The ultimate goal in implementing EHRs is to assist in building an evolving body of knowledge and valuable resources to assist in supporting health care providers and health information tech professionals as they work towards the implementation, adoption and meaningful use of EHR systems in the healthcare system. According to Ivancevich, K.M., Konopaske, R., and Matteson, M.T. (2013), “Management interventions are the actions taken by managers (representing the organization) to prevent, control, or respond to harmful misbehavior (p.209).”

To broadly examine the potential health and financial benefits of health information technology (HIT), this paper compares health care with the use of IT in other industries. It estimates potential savings and costs of widespread adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) systems, models important health and safety benefits, and concludes that effective EMR implementation and networking could eventually save more than $81 billion annually—by improving health care efficiency and safety—and that HIT-enabled prevention and management of chronic disease could eventually double those savings while increasing health and other social benefits. However, this is unlikely to be realized without related changes to the health care system.

Level III evidence suggests that most clinicians that are exposed to a new EHR system must adapt to make accommodations for this new system by leaving their comfortable old system for a new unknown one (McAlearney et al.,2015). The reason that adapting to a new EHR system is very difficult for some physicians is because they apply their old comfortable methods to a new changed system instead of taking an effort to adapt to that new system with a new method that is more appropriate. Some clinicians get so frustrated with trying to adapt that they either retire early, move to other hospitals, misuse the EHR system, or just quit entirely. This process of adapting to the new system and getting comfortable with it requires change, which is naturally

Health information systems (HIS) is the information technology that supports healthcare function. It includes all computer systems: hardware, software, operating systems, and end-user connecting people to the systems, networks, the electronic connectivity between systems, people, and organizations, and the data those systems create and capture through the use of software (Balgrosky, 2015). The effective use of technology and data can improve the overall quality of health care delivered and improve the overall function and efficiency of health care systems.