Communication and Information technology Melissa Liesmann HCS 320 September 19, 2011 Sue Cox Communication and Information technology When thinking about communication and information technology, not many think that they can go hand in hand. This paper is going to discuss one type of information technology that can provide information but also be used as a way of communication. By now many know what electronic medical record is or EMR. It is a computerized medical record created in an organization that delivers care such as a hospital or physician’s office. It is a way to transmit patient information electronically and allow for physicians and staff to communicate by EMR instant messaging.
The Good View Cynthia Wardlow Marc Gewin MED 1140 Virginia College Abstract I am going to elaborate the different debates and/or discussions regarding Electronic Medical Coding: contrasting and comparing today’s recent technologies and the many ways it has transpired the medical field. The Good View Inputting information electronically can make health care less expensive and more efficient. It can also improve the quality of care towards patients by providing quick access to data and information. Quick and precise care can promote positive reviews and rapport for future patients. Medical records software now guaranteed to make labor at ease providing Doctors with a range of capability to capture and store data.
Paper charting cannot effectively be used and searched to follow, examine, and or chart numerous clinical processes and medical information. Paper filing also cannot be saved or copied easily off the premises. Doctor’s orders and any corresponding information, such as labs and prescriptions, can be handed out, stored, and looked after more effectively in an electronic medical record system. Electronic medical records can also improve the quality of care for the patient by combining and joining together the patient information that is vital in quality of care. Electronic medical records “provide admitting staff, physicians, and other care giving and business professionals’ appropriate access to common patient data while maintaining privacy requirements” ("Benefits of EMR", 2003, figure 1).
Consumers are more interesting in the way technology has advanced with in the health care era. Patients are aware that all medical information is safely kept in a computer, but are concern of possible typos or errors that happens with the use of computers. On the flip side consumers understand that retrieving the health information can be done faster for test results and other important information that may usually take weeks to retrieve. Consumers now know it is easier for them to request refills on medication, and sent to the pharmacy quicker. Consumers realize medical providers are gaining a better way to manage the medical information, which will help improve the health care industry, and provide positive medical care.
(Wagner, Lee, & Glaser, n.d., Chapter 9 & 10) There are too many IT systems available to even attempt to compile them all I will discuss a few as to compare one against another. National Library of medicine or NLM supports the development, enhancement, and distribution of clinically specific vocabularies to facilitate the exchange of clinical data and improve retrieval of health information. Personal Health record or PHR’S which allows individuals to view, manage, and share their health care record. There Electronic Medical records or EMR’S are designed for health care providers and stored at health care organizations. This makes sharing medical records a simple task within the organization.
On the surface, just being able to simply send the basic patient chart to another doctor in the practice, the front desk, the nearest hospital or even a specialist is an improvement on the current paper process (Source One). However, even more important than ease of use, is the ability of the EMR software to track patient systems across multiple providers in the same practice or across hospital in an entire integrated health network (Source Seven). The physicians would have the option to view other patient charts with similar patient symptoms to a patient they were currently treating in real-time, which would allow them to see what they were ultimately diagnosed with, potentially saving the life of the patient on the table. It could essentially cut out the ‘learning curve’ of that doctor, especially if it was a set of symptoms that they were not as familiar with (Source Sixteen). Further, the EMR software is capable of alerting the doctors to trends that are taking place across the health system, making them aware of current bugs that may be floating around the area, which can help with quicker, accurate treatment of diseases and illnesses (Source
An advantage of this audit allows the auditor to determine how the patient is progressing with the treatment plan. This is a reliable measure of collecting information because the patient has a baseline and assessment during regular intervals during the course of the treatment. A disadvantage for this audit is that the consistency of information by the auditor can be faulty during the assessment. Not all auditors may understand the importance of collecting data for the quality improvement. Front-line staff needs to understand the importance of collecting accurate and reliable information.
PFCH would greatly benefit from the use of an ERP system developed for hospitals, such as McKesson ERP Solutions. Systems such as these, which are developed specifically for medical professionals, enable hospital workers to easily access, update, and distribute patient information. ERP systems take the data from all other applications and manages that data, resulting in a streamlined, easy to understand overview, known oftentimes as the dashboard. More detailed information is just as easily accessed by the system and displayed in a series of charts and graphs, as well as other tools used to assist healthcare providers in the diagnoses and treatment of patients. While ERP’s are not necessarily well-designed to handle big data, it is my recommendation that both be used parallel to one another for the most benefit.
a patient's description of their pain rather than a measure of pain. Qualitative research techniques such as focus groups and in-depth interviews have been used in one-off projects commissioned by guideline development groups to find out more about the views and experiences of patients and carers. However, since the method can only examine small groups, and data relies heavily on words or stories of participants, validity of result is limited. ( Accuracy of the data collected depends on the skill of the researchers and the trust of the participant to respond well and behave naturally. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH Quantitative research method is used to produce factual and reliable outcome data.
There are many benefits of utilizing a patient portal, capabilities of a patient portal, and how it affects EHR access for consumers, healthcare organizations, and their employees. By the time you reach the end of this paper, you will have complete understanding of everything a patient portal has to offer its consumers and healthcare professionals and organizations. You may be asking yourself, “What is a patient portal and how is it going to benefit me?” The answer is not as complex as you might think. A patient portal is an online application and/or secure website that patients can use as an alternative form of communication between themselves and their provider. Some portals are modules that are added onto an electronic health record system, while others are used as stand-alone websites, and others are integrated into the existing website of a healthcare organization.