NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Healthcare services have seen several changes throughout the years to respond to changing demands of the population. The present key drivers and issues that stakeholders (patients, healthcare providers, vendors and government) in the healthcare sector face are ageing population, increased burden of chronic conditions, rising public demand/expectation for quality healthcare, fragmented and uncoordinated healthcare services and rapid advances in information technology.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

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At present, information technology is considered a “strategic necessity” by world class organizations instead of just a supporting tool. To obtain a competitive advantage in an environment with intense competition, it is vital for organizations to use more sophisticated information technology tools to address the challenges of building and deploying system in the short term and the identification, research and design of future system.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Information technology (IT) is rapidly becoming integrated with healthcare to improve processes and communications, support decision making, reduce inaccuracies, and improve patient safety. The advancement of medical science through the years has made possible the use of more expensive equipment and the latest technology. This will allow healthcare providers and patients to gain access to health information easily and thus has the potential to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. As the healthcare industry is information intensive and knowledge intensive, there is also a need to publish health care information and knowledge.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Healthcare systems vary from country to country but they all have a common aim that is to meet the healthcare needs of target populations. In this report, I will be focusing on healthcare IT in Singapore context.

Healthcare System in Singapore

Singapore has a dual health care system where individuals can choose between public and private providers. The government through Ministry of Health (MOH) manages the public healthcare system. MOH plays a major role in formulating national health policies, coordinating the improvement and planning of the public and private healthcare sectors and regulating health standards. MOH’s mission is to promote good health and reduce illness, to ensure Singaporeans have access to good and affordable healthcare and to pursue medical excellence (Ministry of Health, 2007). MOH’s vision is to develop the world’s most cost-effective healthcare system to keep Singaporeans good health.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Delivery Structure

Healthcare services in Singapore are provided by different types of providers from primary care to tertiary care and to step-down care.

Primary Care

Primary care includes primary medical treatment, preventive healthcare and health education (Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore, 2009). In Singapore, primary health care is provided through outpatient polyclinics and private medical practitioner’s clinics. 80% of the services are provided by private practitioners while the remaining 20% by government polyclinics.

Conveniently located in town centers all over the island, polyclinics are one stop health centers which offered services such as outpatient medical care, maternal and child care health.

Secondary and Tertiary Care

For the secondary and tertiary care, 80% of the hospital care being provided by the public sector and the remaining 20% by the private sector.

This public sector is organized into two vertically integrated delivery networks, National Healthcare Group (NHG) and Singapore Health Services (Sing Health) – that operate as not-for-profit private companies. Having these two groups enable more integrated and better quality healthcare services through greater cooperation and collaboration among public sector health care providers. Each cluster consists of both general hospitals that provide multi-disciplinary healthcare services and specialized hospitals in various disciplines e.g. obstetrics and gynecology and ophthalmology.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

IT Infrastructure for the Healthcare Industry

Functional interoperability is needed in order for computers to be able to share clinical data with one another. Computers must have functions to be able to physically communicate, send and receive documents and data files, share data and information.

Therefore, there is a need for integration, standards and interface engines to build the healthcare industry infrastructure.

Medicine

Medicine forms the backbone of medical system in Singapore (IDA, 2006). It is Singapore’s nationwide computer network for medical and health care community that focuses on five components (Lim, 1990):

Central Claim Processing System(CCPS) – processing of claims in hospital bills

National Patient Master Index (NPMI) – consists of patients’ risk factors, drug allergies and demographic data

Procurement – Electronic procurement of medical and surgical supplies

Notification – Transmission of notifications to government agencies

Information Services – Access to local and foreign databases

MediNet links up computer systems of all participants (MOH, Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB), Government Bodies, restructured hospitals, private hospitals, general practice clinics) in the healthcare delivery system so that they will be able to communicate, exchange data and access common applications on the network (ANNEX C: FACT SHEET: Info comm Milestones, 2006).NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Health Level 7

A group of healthcare computer systems users who founded the Health Level 7 organization in 1987 started developing the HL7 protocol to create that common “language” that allows healthcare applications to share clinical data with each another. Over time the HL7 interoperability protocol became a nationally, internationally and globally accredited standard (HL7 Singapore). Health Level Seven’s domain is clinical and administrative data.

Informatics and Technology in Nursing

In nursing Informatics and Technology are defined as “specialty that integrates nursing science with multiple information and analytical sciences to identify, define, manage and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom in nursing practice, consumers, patients, the inter professional healthcare team and other stakeholders in their decision making in all roles and settings to achieve desired outcomes” (American Nurses Association, 2015). Informatics and Technology are a huge aspect when it comes to the medical field in many ways from communication, documents and much more. There are many management tools to support safe processes of care and to evaluate impact on patient outcomes. This includes the famous EHRs that are common almost anywhere you will go. Patient education comes in when you are looking at information management technologies which uses and application to plan and document the patient’s care. Lastly, I will talk about the appropriate technology for assessing and monitoring the patients overall outcome.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay PaperLet us first talk about applying the technology to the knowledge that we already have to help identify the potential problems earlier. This could be a huge inconvenience when in a hospital if there is a patient that needs to be seen for something minor like a stomach ache that could turn into something as big as appendicitis. Some advanced technology helps us communicate in ways where we could know this information before anything needed to escalate to that. When speaking of electronic documents, you need to identify changes in the patients stays that can occur quickly so EHRs are useful for that as well. This information is all available readily for when the doctor or nurse need it. Then, the nurse is able to use this knowledge to formulate an appropriate plan of action.

Nursing informatics is definitely a growing field because as nurses we tend to face ever changing and challenging practice situations. Competency in nursing informatics promises to strengthen our clinical decision-making skills. We need documentation to keep track of everything that goes on with the many patients we get assigned throughout the work day. Although new technology may be a challenging for some, informatics will enhance nursing practice and will help us to learn much more useful information. This will make us have quicker access to patient information, improve overall efficiency, and see a reduction in potential errors. It would be great to walk into work knowing that your patient information is safe and potential errors are limited.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

In the health systems today, technology plays an important role in education and nursing work. Have you ever walked into a hospital that does not use technology in every room possible? EHRs, Imaging machines, X-rays and much more are all over the hospital to be used by medical professionals in determining the best care for the patients. The criteria used for selecting studies primarily focuses on nursing informatics and the importance of expertise in the effective use of information technology. This happens to be included in all aspects of the nursing profession. These include times in critical assessments of emerging technologies, the key elements of nursing informatics implementation were considered as healthcare promotion, advanced systems, internet, and networked.

When looking at the background of technology and informatics the term “nursing informatics” has been considered a specialization in nursing resources since 1984. Since this time they have had a huge impact on the nursing and medical career to this day. Many aspects such as data recovery, ethics, patient care, decision support systems, imaging informatics, computer science, information science, security, e-learning and nurselings have been added to the field as well. Hana defined Nursing Informatics as the application it in the nursing duties including education, management and practice in 1985. Integration of information science, computer science and nursing science to support nursing practice and knowledge management. So as you can tell it has been implemented for much longer than we know. Many people think that EHRs and some technology have just started to become popular in helping medical professionals but that is not true at all.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Nursing CORE competencies come into play because nurses will be able to use advanced technology and to analyze and synthesize information with this. When being an advocate for your patient you need to make sure that you have their best interest at heart. Along with that, they will collaborate to make important decisions to maximize and optimize patient outcomes. As we all know, the patient comes first and we do whatever they need for their benefit of health. This is important because the nurses will utilize healthcare information technologies to support their practice and provide superior care for the patients. The goal for nursing informatics is to “improve the health of populations, communities, families and individuals by optimizing information management, increasing the communication and exchange of data, and empowering patients.”

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In CORE competency the utilization and understanding of technologies are that of to increase clinical knowledge, research and translation to practice. Nurses are known to be advocates for their patients with a thorough understanding of the clinical environment. So with that being said they need to know what will benefit their patients best. Patients are always looking to technological resources to gain insights into clinical problems. This article has said that nurse of the future will demonstrate mastery of nursing informatics to optimize patient care, nurse outcomes and the profession. They are advocating that this is the best for their patients and the way everything is run.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Believe it or not with EHRs in the medical field there are benefits but there are also downfalls in the system. They could crash, run slow, not give adequate information or sometimes the systems will just fail. They are mainly designed to help with the organization of records, have less paper being used and for many other beneficial reasons. But, they are a huge deal when it comes to nursing! If you are not aware, EHRs are “a documentation tool that yields data useful in enhancing patient safety, evaluating care quality, maximizing efficiency, and measuring staffing needs. There are much dissatisfaction with the designs and the electronic processes.

Nursing issues include medication safety, documentation and standards of practice, and EHR efficiency. IT concerns include interoperability, vendors, innovation, nursing voice, education, and collaboration. When it comes to solving this issue there are some things that could possibly be done but overall; systems have errors. If hospitals are using them they have to realize that there are consequences to it. In order to help with this issue we could have backup paper medical records in which most places do. This could help in case something does not save correctly, if the systems are down or if they need to check if something was not put in the correct way. Another option would be digital medical records which is intended to facilitate information sharing while reducing costs for chart storage and management.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

With other alternatives to EHRs the digital medical records have a potential leverage digital tools to provide clinical alerts, and connect experts for healthcare decision support. They are used to improve care, increase patient participation, and improve quality of care. Health care providers are using health IT at unpredictable levels now. As of 2015, 80% of physician offices have used certified EHRs which are said to work extremely well. We are trying to figure out a way to make the EHR certification evolve to be more responsible for patient and physician needs. They need to be more flexible to allow new tools to be adapted. The clinical utility if the medical record must be recovered. Time is also extremely limited for physicians so it is convenient to have working EHRs.

Lastly I researched the implications for nursing practice and future nursing research. There are so many ways this is implemented for nursing including genetics and genomics, less invasive and more accurate tools for diagnostics and treatment, 3D printing, robotics, bio metrics, and EHR. With genetics the majority of disease risk, health conditions and the therapies used to treat those conditions have a genetic and/or genomic element influenced by environmental, lifestyle, and other factors therefore impacting the entire nursing profession. Non-invasive and minimally invasive tools for diagnostics and treatment generally result in lower patient risk and cost. Bio metrics increase the security of confidential healthcare information and eliminate the costs of managing lost passwords.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

To conclude, I would like to say that informatics and technology is a huge aspect in the nursing field as it helps us communicate, better ourselves, and better our patients. With what has been discussed it is clear to see that it is significant to the practice of nursing. Not only that but with the downsides of technology there are many ways to help reduce that and make it better. With the implications there are too many to list for the medical field. Overall it is there to make patient care better and have a better outcome. Overall technology will always have downfalls but I feel as though it is important for the medical field and should never be overlooked.

The Future of Healthcare IT Technology

Over the past decade, information technology has permeated and changed the face of all segments of the healthcare industry. From medicinal practice to the ways in which physicians set appointments and from HMOs to medical education, every segment has evidenced the positive impact of information technology on quality, efficiency and cost of healthcare. IT technology has revolutionized the way the healthcare industry collects, stores, accesses and communicates information.

What is Healthcare Information Technology?

Healthcare IT technology refers to designing applications, computer networks and information databases responsible for the comprehensive management of healthcare information and ensuring its secure exchange among caregivers, medical educational institutes, research laboratories, insurance companies and patients. In the longer run, healthcare IT is expected to:NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Improve the quality of healthcare being provided

Prevent medical errors

Lower medical costs

Enhance administrative efficiencies

Reduce paperwork

Expand access to information

Expand access to medical care

The one word that forms the core of the future of healthcare IT technology is "convergence." Let’s see how systems, institutes, people and mediums will converge.

Local Internal Healthcare IT Technology

Local internal healthcare IT technology has been widely accepted by hospitals, physicians and academic institutions. During the initial few years of the new millennium, hospitals used internally developed hospital management systems. However, this rapidly changed over the next few years and various commercially developed systems are either already in place or in the process of being refined. Apart from time saving and cost efficiency, these hospital management systems introduced several other advantages, including better adherence to healthcare guidelines, improved surveillance and a decline in medication errors. These hospital and healthcare management systems targeted areas such as billing, patient appointments, doctor’s availability and maintaining medical records.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

The rising popularity of such systems indicates that electronic health records (EHR) will soon become a norm at hospitals. In the future, the EHRs would become more comprehensive. New and improved user interfaces are likely to be created, expediting the implementation of EHRs or Computerized Patient Records (CPR).

Internet-based Healthcare IT

With declining costs and rising assimilation of the Internet into the healthcare sector, data that was being maintained by each hospital individually began to be centralized. For instance, big hospitals like the Johns Hopkins Hospital collect and store information at a centralized location, which could then be accessed by the various branches. The Internet allowed a fast and inexpensive way to access and transmits healthcare information.

One growing concern that threatened to restrain the surge of electronic health records and the transmission of data over the Internet was data security. A staggering number of data thefts compelled the healthcare industry, which gathers sensitive information, to look towards IT to find ways of protecting patient privacy and confidentiality. One of the best solutions to the need for data security is data encryption. The advancements in healthcare information technology have made data encryption easy to implement and economical. Although significant progress has been made, further advancements in this direction seem to be forthcoming.

An area of growth over the next few years could be the Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) application, which electronically writes physician orders. This technology is currently being used by less than half of the hospitals in the US, which is the hub of healthcare IT development. The use of CPOE in ambulatory clinics is likely to rise in the near future. CPOE has great utility when used in combination with clinical decision support systems (CDSS). CDSS are interactive computer programs that link health observations with information on the subject in order to assist health professionals in their decision making tasks.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Another area of growth for healthcare IT technology would be remote patient monitoring. While hospitals are increasingly implementing remote patient monitoring technologies and the market for the same is growing, individual physicians have not as yet warmed up to the idea. This issue will be overcome when healthcare IT technology is able to link outcomes more closely with remuneration in this sphere.

The future of healthcare IT technology lies in the effectiveness, expense and safety of information sharing. Healthcare IT and Internet technologies hold great promise in achieving enhanced data sharing among healthcare providers, patients and insurance companies. While countries like the UK, Canada, Australia and France are endeavoring to creating personal health record infrastructures and implementing national health IT, the sharing of information is poised to overcome geographic boundaries in the future. This would be achieved by developments in Internet-based healthcare IT. One impact of this would be the existence of common websites that would maintain medical records of patients. This information may be accessible not only across hospitals, but across hospitals in different countries. These online sites would maintain a person’s medical history, from birth to the vaccinations received, from the surgeries undergone to a record of allergies. A user-friendly interface would help patients, physicians and other healthcare providers to compute and access all the necessary information. So, healthcare IT technology would ensure that individuals are able to access all their healthcare information in one place, so that they have a better understanding of their illness or health situation and use the same platform to communicate with caregivers, without the threat of data theft.

Over the next decade a sea change in healthcare is likely to be spearheaded by developments in IT and communication technologies. Remote monitoring and diagnosis will become more effective and common. This will result in increased transfer of information and communication among hospitals, physicians, clinics and patients as well as remote consultation and education becoming more and more widespread.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

With more and more data being stored, analysis of this data would mark a gigantic leap in the field of preventive health. Analysis could show whether people with certain characteristics or from certain geographies are prone to particular conditions or diseases. Epidemics could also be predicted by the recorded spread of a disease.

Genetic Revolution

Healthcare IT technology will not only transform how medicine is practiced today, but also play a vital role in bringing about a complete paradigm shift. The next groundbreaking feat would be a genetic revolution, or the study of human genome sequencing in preventing, treating and curing diseases.

Genetic engineering would be able to determine a unique DNA signature for each individual, contributing significantly to overall health and well being. Genetic or molecular diagnostics would play a significant role in linking genetic knowledge to medical care. A genetic test or genomic-based diagnostics would be enough to determine what ailments a person is prone to, a person’s physical strengths and vulnerabilities, the status of the current disease, how responsive a patient would be to particular drugs and cures and what specific treatment to follow. Accurate and timely information and the synthesis of this with genetic and medical research would result in the development of novel preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic tests and processes.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Information management would be critical in this sphere of development. Healthcare IT technology would be aimed at integrating laboratories, medical specialists, EHRs and CDSSs. The building of IT infrastructure in the realm of genetics will probably take a very long time to be developed and advancements may take place one small step at a time. This is because genetic engineering is highly complex and DNA sequencing is frightfully expensive. Also, what would really add value in genetic engineering is if data from various sources can be accessed and processed via a common/single interface.

The first step for healthcare IT technology in combining the various systems would be merging information from various laboratories where genetic tests are performed. Inter-institutional networks or hubs will need to be established in order to exchange information, since no one institute or hospital will be have comprehensive genetic data and knowledge.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

This will form the base of developing standards for the industry. But for this, safety of data transfer has to be guaranteed by healthcare IT. The next step would be to link CDSSs to databases, such that decision making can be based on the latest genetic research and knowledge. While genetic knowledge would be shared by various institutes, data and information would span studies and test conducted across diverse organizations and patients would span geographies, the drugs and treatments would be personalized. This means that two people suffering from the same disease may receive different treatment and drugs, depending on their DNA structure.

Information technology would play a vital role in the planning, structuring and implementing needed to transform healthcare into this new era. Healthcare IT technology in the genetics field would have to be colossal in scope and developments in this regard may be slow and take place one step at a time.

Much of the healthcare IT technology being used today is still immature and the methods of data storing, transfer and accessing information by hospitals, physicians and clinicians are still crude. However, rapid progress is being made. With the development in healthcare IT technology and increased convergence, we could hope to see:NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Improved medical care

The early detection of outbreaks of an infectious disease across a region

Lower medical costs

Remote monitoring of health

Comprehensive records for chronic disease management

Linking outcomes to fees

The Role of Project Manager

Conflicts and communication management approach

The project manager‘s role (PM) has the overall responsibility for the successful planning, implementation, execution, monitoring, control and conclusion of the project (Meredith and Mantel, 2006). The present paper aims to analyze the role of the project manager focused on the challenges that are faced in different projects. Firstly a description of the responsibilities that the project manager owns will be provided. Secondly from the approach of conflict and communication management an analysis of the role of a project manager will be provided. For the purpose of this assignment conflict management and communication management within a project will be analyzed using case of studies to link the theory. Finally findings and key issues will be discussed in order to conclude the present report.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

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Introduction

The project manager is the person who is responsible for the project success (Meredith and Mantel, 2006). It is involved from the beginning of the project in order to prepare the preliminary budget, establish the times of the project’s phases, select the team members, establish a relationship with the client and ensure that the facilities that the project requires are available (Meredith and Mantel, 2006). However there are cases where the project manager joins the project late or different project managers participate during the life of the project causing disarrangement or that it falls behind schedule.

During the project’s life, the project manager faces different challenges and some of them demand more attention for the success of the project. In the following study conducted by Lutherans et all (1985) fifty two managers were considered from three diverse organizations and it shows the most important challenges that a project manager faces. In the Graph 1, each of the bars represents the frequency that a successful project manager performs management activities compared with the least successful project manager. However it is important to mention that the frequency of these activities can vary according to the type of organization.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Impact of Technology on Healthcare

The purpose of this section is to review the literature on the impacts of technology in healthcare. Evidence on the impact of technology in healthcare is mixed. Literature on technology impacts in healthcare have looked at both final outcome measures, such as productivity or output or mortality , as well as intermediate performance measures such as error rates, cycle times, utilization, and complications (Pai & Huang, 2011). A recurring theme among studies on technology and healthcare is the role of time lags; the empirical evidence generally supports the notion that technology investments require a substantial time period for users to learn how to use the technology (Ziefle & Rocker, 2010).

Studies drawing from technology literature base, consistent with the literature on technology investment, appeared more likely to include complementary investment factors such as business process re engineering (BPR) and training (Varshney, 2009). These studies find positive impacts to technology and often included (Varshney, 2009). Studies based in the medical literature painted a more mixed view of outcomes technology investment (Bardram, 2008; Coronato & Pietro, 2010). These studies generally did not include complementary investments and generally took a “tool view” of technology investments. The studies based in the medical literature used a more nuanced choice of outcomes; consistent with the idea that healthcare is a unique context, including outcome measures such as error rate, differential mortality, utilization rates, and complication rates (Sneha & Varshney, 2007; Varshney, 2009).NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

What is missing from this literature is a study that takes into account the unique nature of technology investment, as well as the unique context of healthcare. Theory and evidence about the impacts of technology investment suggest that technology: a) is a general-purpose technology which often requires complementary investments to yield positive returns, b) lowers search costs, which lower the variance of outcomes, c) facilities the accumulation of “memory capital” over time, d) lowers monitoring costs, e) speeds information diffusion, and f) exhibits network effects (Ziefle & Rocker, 2010). While many of the potential impact of technology would seem to result in positive returns in healthcare, findings on the impact of technology in healthcare to date are mixed. Most studies on the impacts of technology in healthcare have either: a) used a rich understanding of technology investments focused upon the impact of technology on traditional outcome measures such as profitability or response time, or b) used a simplified view of technology investment with a rich understand of the particular phenomena which arise out of the unique context of healthcare (Coronato & Pietro, 2010). What is needed in this literature is a study which takes into account the particular impacts of technology investments on phenomena which are unique to healthcare, such as treatment inconsistency.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Research Conceptual Framework and Theoretical Background

Present research examines the factors that influence patient Healthcare Technology adoption drawing support from the following theory.

Theory of Reasoned Action

The Theory of Reasoned Action asserts that beliefs influence attitudes. Attitudes, in turn, influence the intentions that guide behaviour, and acceptance of technology is then demonstrated through behaviour. TRA is well-tested and has been proven valid in predicting and explaining behaviors in general human behaviors. The concept of Theory of Reasoned Action was founded on Finish and Ajzen’s social psychology research. TRA suggested that significant relations exist between beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors (Aziz et al. 2006; Wash burn & Hornberger, 2008). According to TRA, most social behaviors are not automatic actions; instead, they are under volitional controls. TRA asserts that people consider the implications of their action based on the information available to them before they decide to perform behaviour (Aziz et al. 2006; Washburn & Hornberger, 2008).

Ways Technology has Changed Healthcare

Technology is considered to be the driving force behind improvements in healthcare and, when you look at the rate of change and recent innovations, many find it hard not to agree with that observation.

Graduates of health informatics will no doubt agree that technology is impacting many aspects of our lives as breakthroughs in data collection, research and treatments allow medical providers to use new tools and find fresh and innovative ways to practice medicine into the future.

Better and More Accessible Treatment

A number of industry analysts have observed that increased accessibility of treatment is one of the most tangible ways that technology has changed healthcare. Health IT opens up many more avenues of exploration and research, which allows experts to make healthcare more driven and effective than it has ever been.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Improved Care and Efficiency

Another key area that has grown and continues to do so is patient care. The use of information technology has made patient care safer and more reliable in most applications.

The fact that nurses and doctors who are working on the frontline are now routinely using hand-held computers to record important real-time patient data and then sharing it instantly within their updated medical history is an excellent illustration of the benefits of health IT.

Being able to accumulate lab results, records of vital signs and other critical patient data into one centralized area has transformed the level of care and efficiency a patient can expect to receive when they enter the healthcare system.

An increased level of efficiency in data collection means that a vast online resource of patient history is available to scientists, who are finding new ways to study trends and make medical breakthroughs at a faster rate.

Software Improves Healthcare and Disease Control

The development of specific software programs means that, for example, the World Health Organization has been able to classify illnesses, their causes and symptoms into a massive database that encompasses more than 14,000 individual codes.

This resource allows medical professionals and researchers to track, retrieve and utilize valuable data in the fight to control disease and provide better healthcare outcomes in general.

Software also plays a pivotal role in tracking procedures and using billing methods that not only reduce paperwork levels, but also allow practitioners to use this data to improve quality of care and all around efficiency.

Doctors report that they are deriving enormous benefits from the drive toward a total system of electronic medical records; patients enjoy the fact that software has created a greater degree of transparency in the healthcare system.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

It could be argued that of all the ways technology has improved the lives of humans across the globe, none are as important as the technological advances in medicine. From the invention of X-ray machines to advances in surgical practices, technology has made us healthier and increased life expediencies[1]. As we move further into the 21st century, we continue to develop technologies that cure illnesses and improve our quality of life. Health informatics is heavily integrated with technology and graduates with a Master of Science in Health Informatics degree can help to push the boundaries of healthcare throughout their careers.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

As any student of health informatics knows, the movement toward electronic health records is a huge evolution in the medical field, and one that can facilitate countless advances in medical diagnostics and treatment.

In the past, hospitals had disparate information systems that were clumsy in their ability to share and transfer patient records. With the advent of EHRs, many systems have been connected, allowing for faster information transfers and more integrated and efficient care.

Telemedicine / Telehealth

Telemedicine refers to methods of advancing healthcare based on telecommunications technologies. There are several reasons telehealth is becoming more popular and successful. First, in rural areas where access to hospitals and other health related services are lacking, patients can use their computer to meet virtually with a doctor. Secondly, the cost benefits associated with telehealth are substantial. According to an Alliance for Connected Care study, telehealth services can save up to $100 per doctor visit [2].NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Another study published in CHEST Journal shows patients in an ICU equipped with telehealth services were discharged 20% faster and had a 26% lower mortality rate than traditional ICUs[1].

Remote Monitoring Tools

When patients monitor their health at home, they can save money and reduce unnecessary visits to the doctor’s office. At the end of 2012, almost 3 million patients worldwide were using home health monitoring systems[1].

Pacemakers for patients with heart disease can automatically send data to remote health centers. Great for patients with chronic illnesses, these tools can allow systems to monitor a patient’s health from a distance.

Wearable Technology

The wearable medical device market is growing quickly. These devices collect data, which helps doctors and patients alike monitor and assess the health of the wearer.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

In addition to devices that alert authorities about serious medical issues, there are very popular wearable like wristbands and watches that are allowing users to take an active role in their health. According to Huffington Post, by 2018 an expected 130 million wearable devices will have been shipped to consumers[6].

Genome Sequencing

Some have called personal genomics the future of healthcare. Personal genomics refers to the sequencing and analysis of one person’s genome and then giving that person his or her genomic information[5].

Sequencing the human genome has been one of the greatest advancements in medical technology of the last 40 years. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, says in Modern Healthcare, “For all of human history, we have labored without understanding our instruction book, and the human genome provided that. It’s like crossing a bridge[4].”

Technology’s Vital Role in Healthcare and Society

It’s impossible to truly appreciate the current state of health IT in the U.S. without reflecting on how far we’ve come and where we have been. Not that long ago, all records were captured on paper. Charts could only be shared via fax machine or courier. You saw your local doctor for everything – visited your local hospital. Accessing healthcare information was difficult and tedious. Monumental advances have been made in the last 20 years that have improved the way the healthcare industry delivers patient care and the way the public expects to be treated. Not only is the industry increasingly reliant on technology, our patients are tech savvy and expect to be treated as such.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

One of the most important, and highly debated, elements of our society is the quality of healthcare available to patients. And, undeniably, a driving force behind quality healthcare is the adoption of technology that enables clinicians to provide better patient care. National Health IT Week is an opportunity to highlight the value and importance of information technology in healthcare throughout the country. With an increased reliance on technology, it’s important to take the time to convey the mutual benefits for patients and providers to the public and policy makers that rely on healthcare IT and influence its use.

Technology’s role in healthcare has expanded exponentially over the last 20 years and figures to increase in conjunction with our societal technological advancements. Our ability to store, share and analyze health information is directly tied to improved technology. The use of technology increases provider capabilities and patient access while improving the quality of life for some patients and saving the lives of others. We’re moving into an era where physicians can see patients remotely and accurately diagnose t a patient’s problems, even in the most rural areas, through medicine. We’ve progressed from using technology to improve patient care and the healthcare industry, to impacting our society as a whole.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

However, the industry is entering a pivotal era. As EHR adoption increases, will the technology movement grow stale? Will it plateau or continue to evolve to support the new challenges faced by the industry and society? Odds are it will continue to evolve as technology evolves and technological capabilities offer new ways to treat, communicate and care for patients.

NHIT Week is about raising awareness for the value of health IT. It’s a week that gives those invested in health IT an opportunity to band together and ensure that the message is clear to all that will listen. Health information technology brings a multitude of benefits to our U.S. healthcare system.

Importance of Technology in Health Care and hospitals

Health and fitness is among the top nearly all priority of men and women therefore non stop experiments are performed in order to continuously increase the health of the actual human race. This seek out brand new breakthroughs with regard to drugs will be went after in addition to fresh systems formulated to deliver useful in addition to rapid well being support for everyone. Lifetime since everybody knows can be quite valuable along with with the help of technological know-how hospitals around the globe have absolutely much better along with stored a lot of existence. As a result of technological know-how, hospitals tend to be more competent at providing your important wants of most sufferers.

With regards to surgical procedures along with state-of-the-art proper care method, technology certainly represents a crucial position from the infirmary. Unlike before, private hospitals currently are more effective at carrying out critical and also lifetime harmful surgical procedures due to the fact regarding advanced models to use within surgeries when desired. We have the actual so known as CAS as well as Pc Served Medical procedures that is generally known as the actual laptop or computer well guided medical procedures. Using this method is often utilized by most cosmetic surgeons in some surgery functions in particular on the subject of spinal conditions, gerontological and also orthopedic operations. Regarding clinic laboratories, well being personnel are utilizing sophisticated gadgets and equipment to execute diagnostic checks which can be much more correct in addition to straightforward as compared with prior to as soon as every thing is done by hand. Nonetheless, for that reason technical discovery, a greater volume of qualified technicians may also be needed within instances while some thing inappropriate may well come about and the appliance won’t act as estimated. Since advanced models demands complicated sustains. NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper Technology in addition has afflicted just how infirmary employees connect from the medical center or perhaps away from medical center. Among which can be using this consequently named “telemedicine” which is described as the use of automated tools to be able to monitor or communicate facts to a new health care capability when it comes to offering vital data to boost one’s health. Importance of Technology in Health Care and hospitals In addition there are rural supervising gadgets becoming produced to make certain individuals in your own home obtained good care even with not necessarily about to a healthcare facility.

Now, nurses as well as doctors may also talk consequently with the use of computer systems. Also pharmacists within the infirmary are capable of doing superior and more rapidly with the help of superior programs wherever they might at this point search within a variety of medicinal drugs along with be given details of which kind of medications really does medical professionals using parts will need. Analysis checks for example CT search within, MRI and also X-rays usually are merchandise connected with design developments that happen to be most very helpful in the clinic. Spill meters, pace manufacturers to the people in the strenuous health care device, syringe penis pumps are now utilized and that is in addition critical to ensure the living of the individual is usually supervised consequently and the essential exact calculations regarding medicines are delivered.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

The usage of technology from the clinic establishing is reasonably crucial, with out it health and fitness individuals would never complete their own responsibilities and also obligations within a given day. Without this, existence assist could be impossible irrespective of getting inside the hospital. For that reason you are able to declare that will technologies is usually one particular major issue in which extends the hospital. As a result of these kind of significant technical breakthrough discoveries, medical method has become improved upon and it has stored so many existence.

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Impacts of information technology (IT)

History has witnessed that humanity went through several revolutions.  The latest one is the revolution of information and communication technology. This revolution caused a rupture between everything that is old; what is considered new today is quickly turned into an old and obsolete trend tomorrow. Because of these evolution's, the demand for this technology has increased. Therefore, the latter has become the most important used resource compared to classical resources, which has led to the amplification of interest in new information and communication technologies by both companies and individuals.

At present, the world is witnessing a rapid evolution process in the need for information facilities in terms of quantity, quality and access to information, in order to make the best decision based on the different changes and dynamics of the enterprises environment.  This demonstrates clearly the growing importance of information systems and their ability to satisfy the needs of enterprises information.  This emphasizes the importance to develop these systems and to increase their effectiveness and efficiency. One of the key elements of the success of these systems is that they have become dependent on sophisticated technology that have greatly facilitated access to information and clearly reduced access costs.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

The telecommunications sector has undergone a decisive transformation in a short period thanks to the technological developments that underpin it. It has become the infrastructure of what is known today as the knowledge economy which depends on the information and its delivery methods in the shortest time and at the lowest costs possible. Due to the tremendous development witnessed by this sector and to the extent it has contributed in all sectors, especially in light of the use of satellite, mobile phone and the Internet, this has put the companies in front of a new challenge which is the acquisition of information and communication technology.

No one can doubt that information technology is a fundamental and innovative revolution that has touched human life considerably in the last century. Indeed, far from being an effervescent phenomenon, or a passing trend, information and communication technology has just been exploited in all aspects of life. No domain has remained immune to this policy, which facilitates tasks for both the company and the staff.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Usually when we talk about information technology, it comes to people’s mind that “information technology (IT) is the use of any computers, storage, networking and other physical devices, infrastructure and processes to create, process, store, secure and exchange all forms of electronic data. Typically, IT is used in the context of enterprise operations as opposed to personal or entertainment technologies. The commercial use of IT encompasses both computer technology and telephony.”[1]

Today’s world is considered as a small village thanks to information technology. The process of communication and transmission of information has become so fast that it has spread other the world widely, and it has greatly affected human life and brought about a radical change. The world now depends entirely on technology, knowing that this technology carries a significant enough risk to destroy society. Which leads us to wonder exactly what the new technologies of information and communication consist of? What are their effects on the daily lives of individuals and what impacts do they have on the different areas of life: economic, political, and social?

Definition of Information technologies

Information technology, widely known under its abbreviation (IT), is defined as “the science and activity of using computers and other electronic equipment to store and send information”[2].

“Many areas of public health, including vital statistics, investigation and research, surveillance, epidemiology, surveys, laboratories technology, maternal and child health, and environmental health, use information technology (IT) to achieve their goals and objectives. IT includes the use of computers and communications, and the transformation of data into information and knowledge”[3].

“Most modern businesses depend heavily on information systems, from employee e-mail to database management to e-commerce Web sites. Hospitals have large patient databases to maintain. Universities have sprawling networks to administer. Even a small, home-based cookie business needs an order-tracking system. The Information Technology Association of America reports that 92 percent of IT professionals work for non-IT companies”[4].NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

Effects of information technology in our daily activities

1. Effects on education

Information technology has made the education process more effective and productive. It has increased the well-being of the students. Developed methods of education have made this process easier, such as the replacement of books with tablets and laptops. Moreover, the emergence of e-learning platforms that allows students to learn from their homes. These platforms can be an effective alternative for people who are out of school, or who have difficulties keeping up with their teachers in class. These platforms gives students the chance to review the courses with simpler and more concrete explanations at every moment, and this reinforces the educational process and leads to better results in school for most of the students.

2.Effects on the health system

In the field of medicine, medical devices have known a remarkable development. They have become more efficient. IT has entered these devices and turned them into digital devices that facilitate their programming and handling. Thanks to IT sectors like the artificial intelligence (AI) the world has witnessed distance surgeries thanks to robots, the implementation of artificial members as artificial legs, hands and even artificial cardio-aortic valves.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

“Information technology is of particular importance to health care delivery. Developments of computerized patient records will enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and distribution of health care. As managed care programs develop, population-based information will be of increasing importance to health care providers and to the public health community. The capacity to transmit this information through telecommunication linkages, including medicine, will revolutionize the accessibility of health care to under served areas, including both rural and urban populations. These developments will raise substantial concerns regarding confidentiality and privacy because information on health may be very relevant to employment and inscrutability. Efficient, effective, reliable information systems could in fact, enhance the human quality of patient/doctor interactions by focusing on clinical decision-making and patient preferences rather than routine data collection. In this regard, information technology might in fact, enhance the quality of that interaction”[5].NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

The development of the field of medicine is important for humanity. It is the basis for living a healthy life away from disease and pain.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Health Records

An EHR, or an electronic health record, is a digital version of a person’s overall medical history. EHRs are maintained by one provider, but can be shared to specialists and other medical caregivers when needed to maintain accurate information. All key clinical data that is relevant to the development of a treatment plan is maintained in this one file.

Information may include progress or interview notes, medications being taken, a history of medical appointments, and even demographic information.

The advantage of using electronic health records is that they offer a higher level of accuracy. Instead of relying on word-of-mouth information, providers can instantly access the file to determine what has happened over time to the health of a patient.

The disadvantage of EHRs is that, like any other item that has been digitized, there is a risk that it could be accessed by an unauthorized party. It isn’t just hackers that could find themselves in the medical file of a patient. The US Department of Health and Human Services notes a complaint where an HMO sent an entire medical record to a disability insurance company without authorization.

Here are some additional advantages and disadvantages of electronic health records to think about and discuss.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

List of the Advantages of Electronic Health Records

1. There is a financial incentive for medical providers.
Medical providers who computerize their traditional records with a certified EHR provide the necessary demonstration of meaningful use that the US government requires. That allows them to obtain or continue receiving the financial incentives that programs such as Medicaid or Medicare offer. Government mandates encourage the use of an EHR to make patient care more efficient.

2. Proper information is easier to document.
Most electronic health record systems make it possible to create templates. Those templates direct caregivers to enter specific notes or records for every patient, making it possible to accurately document required information on a patient-to-patient basis. Even though different visits might require different documentation, the EHR makes it possible to stop data loss by offering reminders of what needs to be done.

3. Patients have better access to their medical records.
With an electronic health records initiative, many medical providers have created online portals. These portals allow patients to access their medical records whenever they wish, as long as they have a secure data or internet connection. This allows every patient to reference a treatment plan or understand how their doctor sees their current state of health at any time.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

4. It saves time.
When a patient portal is introduced with an EHR system, it can be setup so that patients can input their own data directly into their records. Instead of spending 20 minutes filling out paperwork at the doctor’s office before a visit, they can enter their data directly into their file days, if not weeks, before their scheduled visit. It saves them time and it saves time on the administrative work by the medical provider.

5. Orders can be initiated with greater speed.
With an EHR system, doctors can immediately place orders for imaging or laboratory work. This reduces the chance of an error occurring because the handwriting of the doctor is difficult to decipher. This benefit extends to the placement of a prescription order as well. An electronic order can be sent directly to the pharmacy of choice for a patient. By the time a person gets to the pharmacy, their order could potentially be ready.

6. Billing can become more accurate.
Electronic records can also capture the use of facility resources more accurately, making it possible for the billing record of a patient to be more accurate. Although patients may not see any change because of this advantage, third-party payers, such as an insurance company, will have a complete record for activity and charges. This can maximize the revenues that a medical provider can achieve.

List of the Disadvantages of Electronic Health Records

1. HIPAA violations are more common than many realize.
A HIPAA violation can cost anywhere from $100 to $1.5 million when it is reported or detected. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was first initiated in 1996 so that national standards for security and confidentiality could be set in the US. An employee doesn’t need to lose a computer or access a patient file without permission. A doctor talking to their family about a patient’s health is a violation too. Without proper training, these violations can hamper the medical care a patient receives.NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper

2. Hackers don’t need to access patient files to restrict them.
Ransomware attacks in 2017, initiated through malware and other security access problems on electronic health record servers, cost numerous hospitals thousands of dollars per incident. This software encrypts the EHR, making it inaccessible until a “ransom” is paid to restore the data. Even if the ransom is paid, there is no guarantee that the files weren’t copied and distributed to other people either.

3. It must be updated on a regular basis.
Like any software solution, an electronic health record platform must receive regular updates so that it can perform as needed. Not every software creator does this. If a medical provider selects a system that receives infrequent updates, they could be placed at a disadvantage over time when compared to facilities that do receive regular updates.

4. What happens if a doctor doesn’t have computer access?
Although many specialists have interview rooms where a computer is permanently installed, this isn’t the case for general practitioners or family providers. Small offices may have a doctor carry a laptop or tablet to maintain their electronic health records. If the doctor forgets the electronic device, then gaps of information may begin to appear in the patient record. Data collected in real time is more accurate that data that is recalled, even if the space of that recall is 15 minutes or less.

5. Electronic health record systems are not cheap.
Medical facilities must invest a considerable amount, often measured in millions of dollars, to setup, maintain, and train people on an EHR. System updates may have a cost to them. Many facilities need to hire IT professionals or outsource their tech needs to keep the system running as effectively as possible.

The advantages and disadvantages of electronic health records make it much easier to access critical data, but there must be protections in place to keep that data out of unauthorized hands.

What do you see being the primary advantages and disadvantages of electronic health records? NURS 6430 - Project Management: Healthcare Information Technology Essay Paper