Information Technology Is a Fast-Changing World of Computing - Essay Example

? System Planning and Design Information technology is a fast changing world of computing. With changes in base systems, hardware and applications, information system building has become to be critical and thus requiring extra keen while undertaking the decision making stage followed by design stage, implementation stage, testing stage integration and evolution stages. In the case of SFO clinic, system development takes the waterfall model from understanding user requirements to testing. Introduction Building systems for organizations thhus understanding wide scopes of requirements and among them are organizational and user ones. In addition it is also imperative to understand hardware platforms for deployment of developed systems such that failure of operation is avoided (Smith, 2012). In this regard requirement analysis becomes essential. Secondly, since the onset of the digital era, there has been overwhelming demand for digitizing existing and forthcoming records and consequently information system building has to solve these problems. Such demand thus calls for specific design that takes into consideration all these requirements hence the need for system specification (Johnson, 2011). When all specific system requirements have been met, it is imperative that design commences. While designing IT experts usually break down system components such that each component is developed independently of the other to avoid numerous system errors. This is also highly encouraged while using implementation of tools that are object oriented. Thus the system is separated into modules, which are independent of each other. Upon clearance of modular development, development stage begins which entails system coding whereby the real transition between human and machine interaction happens (Edwards, 2012). Coding begins with creating pseudo codes at each functional level and consequently reviewing whether all requirements have been met and thus the system is constructed at this stage (Johnson, 2011). After development system integration follows which involves a combination of the different modules developed above. After successful integration of different modules for SFO clinic, then system testing follows which is done in two phases. While testing might be done after integration, it is of great essence that testing be carried out before and after integration to ensure that developed modules are error-free and that the system has efficient communication abilities, that is, modules are able to communicate with each other while passing data. This last stage will ensure whether the developed system is important for SFO clinic in California by achieving user acceptance. Requirement analysis This stage involves two critical foundational stages of system development which include business case and user requirements (Edwards, 2012). Business case provides useful information upon which the system is to be based on. In this case, SFO clinic in California is an urgent health care facility that admits individuals with urgency cases. Understanding the institution by name, location and requirements gives the developer a background idea on how to get in touch with the organization and conduct further research as entails other requirements. Johnson (2011) argues that user requirements form another essential step in the design and development process. In order to transform organization functions to digital records, it is imperative the extensive research be undertaken. This can either be done through prototyping, simulation, user interviews among others or a combination of either of these requirement collection methodologies. In the case of SFO clinic, requirement analysis is done through a combination of prototyping and user interviews. Inclusive users undergoing the interviewing process involved the director of the clinic, the receptionist, doctors at the clinic and the billing department. The requirement process obtained that digitization exercise at the clinic involves the billing department whereby client payment records are kept. In this specific clinic, the billing department is not prioritized such that clients have to make payments such that they can undergo treatment. Given that this is an urgency care center, incoming patients as recorded by the receptionist and are assigned to the available emergence attending doctor. Thirdly, it was found out that outpatient records are also recorded with health status. In addition, other non-patient records such as dead patients are also needed. External development of clinical service evaluation was also necessary as explained by the director in evaluating the quality of services they offer. Design stage Given that all needs have been identified, the design stage takes care of identification of relationships between these needs and appropriate actions to be carried out in the hospital environment. Thus design separates these needs according to associated actions and corresponding department. This process creates modules which involve specific functions at the different departments involved. Functions or modules Modules are a very important aspect of system creation. They ease the process by breaking down different components of the system which are usually referred to as subsystems (Edwards, 2012). While modules do not represent sensible facets of system development, they make it easier for system developers to achieve the whole process systematically. Given that patient records need to created, a combination approach is undertaken to articulate incoming patient records with outgoing patient records. This thus led to creation of patient records with different dates as regards admission and discharge. Thus this module includes variable such as patient name, age, residence, diagnosis, attended by, progress and discharge. A second module to be designed is the billing module. While record keeping entails provision of patient personal information, this information should not be shared with the billing department. Therefore the billing department should be absolutely independent of other modules. This calls for privacy of the module from the others. Thus billing information should depict client personal information and mediation fee and status, whether paid or not paid. Thirdly, creation of another highly private record keeping module known as death patient record is essential. These records are not to be accessed by anyone within the hospital environment but only the treating doctor and the clinic director. This information is essential in determination of the effective of urgency provision services and thus the essence of the clinic’s existence. The last module is not directly associated with addition or removal of records from within the database but to only view certain records. Doctors highly preoccupied at eh hospital may find it necessary to know their patient progress while attending to other patients and thus reduce the amounts of time involved in walking directly to each wardroom to check on their status. Thus view module entails extracting certain information, relevant to users (Smith, 2012). Hardware understanding While designing the system, modular testing encompasses software design requirements it is of great significance that understanding of deployment platform be undertaken for the purposes of choice of development and implementation approach. Therefore this forced the design team to undertake the installation platform for implementation technology. Issues to consider in the design process Privacy is one of the critical aspects of system design and development. While privacy involves shielding of certain information from random access, it provides a platform to maintain confidentiality and thus organizational or individual image (Johnson, 2011). Thus in this system, patients’ personal information as regards the billing department and death records need to be hidden from access from non-staff members. Security issues involve the use or installation of functional firewalls to prevent external access to the system and hence database (Smith, 2012). Given that the system is to be used in an intranet setting, it is essential that additional access security be applied. In this regard, username and password access prompt is created for the purposes of preventing unnecessary access. In addition, data storage will be implemented in a database and types of files to be stored in the database should be files devoid of viral attacks and carriage. This thus restricts files to only saving extra files as text, pdf and image files such as jpeg, btmp and related files. This step will ensure avoidance of importation of viruses that can attack the system from within and collapse it, Basically, patient records such as names and date of admission and discharge should be shared within all departments of the hospital. Other details such as billing information, death information should only be restricted to the director, and involved departments such as the accounts department and mortuary one. Implementation stage Coding of different modules Coding makes the beginning making system development feasible. In order to commence the process of coding, one need to understand modules appropriately and their associated functions. In this case, there are four modules identified which needs implementation. This is implemented below using pseudo code technology. However, it is important to understand that this technology can not be physically tested since it is called human programming and thus not machine compatible. To begin with, information gathering and storage from patients or relatives is the first module to undergo coding. Thus this module will require variables such as surname, first name, age, and residence. Thus using coding technique this will be implemented in text fields as follows, Enter surname (Char) /new line Enter first name (char)/ new line Enter age (num)/ new line Enter residence (char)/new line A button should be shown at the bottom indicating submission. When all fields have been entered, then submit should follow with a function to insert the information into a database. But before submission, a validation script should ensure that all fields have entered in order to attain all the required information. Secondly, the billing module should entail personal information as indicated above obtained through a form and then submitted to billing department database. Addition fields should include’ Enter amount (Num)/new line Status (choice options) A subsequent submission button should be shown at the bottom. Thirdly, user authentication module need be created which will prompt users for username and password. Addition of user information into authentication list will only be carried out by the director. However, the system will limit actions for different users within the clinic facility. This code will be implemented through a MySQL script. Lastly, creation of death records within the facility is another module that needs be created. Achieved through change of patient status, basic patient information can be obtained from the database with a corresponding tag of the patient as either ok, recovering, critical or dead. This module is only available to staff members such as doctors, and nurses and should only indicated information regarding patient information and status. Change of status can only be confirmed by the doctor undertaking treatment, the director or the care giving nurse. This module will be implemented as follows Patient status (variable) Update patient status (OK/Recovering/Critical/Dead) Integration After the above development process, it is important that the modules be put together to form one functional system that integrates all the needs of the hospital. Integration will thus involve combination of the modules developed above and creation of communication interfaces. The first form will display login form and consequently followed by other forms such as add patient, change patient status, view patient information such as progress and show patient billing information. These actions will be attributed to appropriate staff as applies the policies of privacy and confidentiality of the hospital. Integration will thus ensure that appropriate system components have been put together to achieve the process of system development (Edwards, 2012). Testing While integration precedes testing, the latter should commence at modular developmental stage to ensure that each module developed meets required expectation. Thus modular testing, Modular testing or white box testing will thus ensure that all modules have no bugs within them and are thus syntax and semantic error free. Interlobular testing referred to as black box testing involves testing of the whole system to ensure that it is functional as expected and easy to use. This test evaluates whether the system is also user friendly or requires further modification. This testing step also involves user test and acceptance since at all times, the system will be put into use by appropriate users on different ends. Evolution stage After system acceptance and implementation into the clinic environment, follow up and evaluation should proceed such that system developers will ensure that the system functions well as intended and caters for emergent needs in the course of usage. Evolution will ensure that appropriate changes are made to accommodate new demands from the environment and consequently digitize all clinical needs for the care center. References Smith, H.T. (2012). System analysis and design. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Johnson, E. D. (2011). System development: Life cycles. Houston, Chicago: Wiley & Sons. Edwards, F. P. (2012). Software engineering. System development. Montreal, CA: McMillan. Read More