Health Informatics - Research Paper Example

? Health Informatics of Learning The current medical health care has faced tremendous changes due to high competitiveness in the medical sector. As such, there has been a need to adopt computerization in the programs undertaken across the health sector. Most of the organizations rely on health informatics to provide relevant information and strategies to be used in enhancing reliability in the society. National Health Insurance Scheme has imposed measures that ensure that the services are up-to-date with the changing economy. However, this was not achieved, until recently, as the organization had contracted various vendors to provide national health informatics system. Ideally, the degree of using information technology in the health sector, preferably NHIS, has been high, and the program undertaken has enhanced efficiency in the activities of the health sector. Most of the practices undertaken in the health sector have extensive computerized clinical records, which aims at achieving the strategic goals. Although computerization may be attributed to the machines in the sector, individual practices should be scrutinized with the aim of achieving accuracy in the operations (O’Carroll, 2003). Clinical Informatics has altered the activities of health care through analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation of various communication and information systems in the health sector. This has enhanced population and individual health outcomes, strengthening the patient-clinical relationship and improving patient care. Clinical informatics relies on the knowledge on the care of patients by combining the understanding the informatics methods, concepts, and various health informatics tools. The main functions of clinical health informatics are to assess the knowledge and information needs of the patients and professionals in the health care. In addition, it evaluates, characterizes, and refines the clinical processes in order to ensure that the clinicians can make an informed decision. Clinical informatics also aids in developing, implementing, and refining the decision support systems of the clinical process. Leading or participating in customization, procurement, implementation, development, evaluation, and improvement of various clinical information systems. Initiation of clinical informatics ensures that the quality of clinical activities is at par with the focus being on the accuracy and reliability of data analysis and presentation. The United States medical sector had been characterized by paperwork medical records. Most of the data was misplaced or misappropriated hampering the quality of clinical services. In addition, reimbursement of clinical services will be effective and efficient (Hayes & Aspray, 2010). The services will be undertaken at the predetermined time framework. As such, realization of strategic goals of the organization and customer satisfaction will not be compromised. As clinical informatics will involve computerization of the services, the speed at which the information will be relayed to various departments will be faster. Unlike in the case of paperwork, where service to the patients was slow, the access to care will be faster. Such implementation will enhance realization of the organization’s strategic objectives. Clinical informatics plays a vital role in supporting NHIN through the use of communication and information systems to support the various initiatives of NHIN. Ideally, NHIN is concerned with real-time data and reporting of the clinical information to the management. Implementation of clinical informatics program will enhance suitability and performance of the health sector’s operations. Secondly, the federal government aims at implementing computational health informatics program, which will ensure that computational techniques, normally used in computer science, will be relevant to the activities of healthcare. However, the regulation posits that the organization should be accredited by the federal government in order to ensure that the system is used by qualified personnel. The license fees imposed will have adverse effects on the cost of services offered to the public. Although every positive undertaking has its setbacks, the program will enhance the quality of services offered to clients. Upon completion, the system will necessitate health domain that provide an understanding of various ailments that affect the society. Accuracy in prescription will not be compromised. As the program uses algorithms and computational procedures, reimbursement of services will be ultimately high. Health sector will require finances to cater for maintenance of the computers, license fees, remuneration of staff, and purchase of medicines. Despite the high costs of health care, patients will be guaranteed reliable healthcare (Hansen & Maeder, 2011). Computational health informatics program has enhanced the operations for NHIN. The sector requires computational techniques that will ensure relevancy of the activities that are undertaken in the society. Technological advancement has rendered most of the organization to articulate to computational techniques in an attempt to realize strategic goals. Thirdly, clinical research informatics program is another federal program that aims at enhancing vital principles, technologies, and foundations that are relevant to health informatics. Indeed, the information collected is then used in the application for clinical research frameworks. CRI is a branch of health informatics (Hayes & Aspray, 2010). There has been an increase in the importance of CRI, as there has been an immense increase in clinical research information and data. Acquisition of CRI requires accreditation of the department of health; thereby implying that issuance of the license is a necessity. The current state of public health is continuing to deteriorate, and there is a need for research on the new infections and treatments. CRI will enhance the quality of the clinical operations as it ensures effective and efficient data acquisition and collection. In addition, patient management and recruitment is guaranteed; regulatory compliance is enhanced as well as efficient management. As the acquisition of CRI program requires finances and remuneration of the staff, then the costs of services will ultimately be high. CRI enhances the operations of NHIN, as it performs research that enables the improvement of the services that are to be undertaken in the health sector (Conrick, 2006). The realization of these health informatics programs is not an easy task for health professionals. In the case of clinical informatics, health professionals should be acquainted with the design and implementation of the program. The success of the program depends on the reliability of health professionals. However, when the program’s requirements are followed to the latter, clinical officers will be able to perform their duties effectively, and with clarity. Computational health informatics program is also vital in the organization. Health professionals should be able to acquaint themselves with the computer system operations. The basic knowledge of computation should be put in practice, and where necessary, computer science courses should be subjected to the health professionals. Currently, health professionals are undertaking short-term courses that are relevant to computational health informatics program (Borycki and Househ, 2011). Globally, computational health informatics program will necessitate accuracy in the dissemination of information and data in the health sector. Competition has been felt across all sectors in the economy; therefore, there is a need for health professionals to understand new technologies in the society. In addition, health informatics professionals need to understand the basic foundations and principles that enhance achievement of health informatics. Federal government understood the relevancy of health professionals to be accustomed to the basic principles in health informatics. As such, they should be able to undertake research on the new initiatives and developments in the health sector. In conclusion, the health informatics outlined will have a positive impact on the operations of the health sector. Indeed, the health workforce needs to be educated on the new technologies that affect the economy. As such, it is vital for the organization to articulate to the new measures and technological changes in the economy. References Borycki, E. & Househ, M. (2011). International Perspectives in Health Informatics, Amsterdam: IOS Press. Conrick, M. (2006). Health Informatics, London: Cengage Learning Hansen, D., & Maeder, A. (2011). Health Informatics: The Transformative Power of Innovation, Selected Papers from the 19th Australian National Health Informatics Conference (HIC 2011), Amsterdam: IOS Press Hayes, B. & Aspray, W. (2010). Health Informatics: A Patient-Centered Approach to Diabetes, New York: MIT Press O’Carroll, P. (2003). Public Health Informatics and Information Systems, London: Springer Read More