The Role of Chief Information Officers and the Challenges They Face - Essay Example

? The Role of Chief Information Officers and the Challenges They Face The Role of Chief Information Officers and the Challenges TheyFace The 21st century has brought several changes into the health system. Information technology has been used to improve health care information systems as it increases efficiency. Information technology facilitates the coordination of health care, supports research in the health care sector as well as guides improvement of the internal quality. However, most health centers still require an upgrade since the systems that already exist are not sufficient. Unlike other information-intensive sectors, the health sector is yet to invest sufficiently in information technology. It is important to note that there are many barriers in the way of digitizing the health care sector (Griffith & White, 2006). To completely eliminate these barriers it will require a long term commitment and a proper planning. It has been agreed by several stakeholders within the health sector that current information systems are not enough for the numerous tasks that the industry undertakes. Stakeholders need information on health quality in order to support efforts to improve quality. However, in many cases this much needed information is scattered in paper records as well as computers. This makes the whole process of risk adjustment longer and harder since the information is not readily available. To create applicable performance measurements data not collected routinely are required (Payne, 2008). Of note is the decentralized nature of the health care system. It creates a complex industry model that includes several trading partners. Although the industry is decentralized, it is in need of data sharing. That is why the utilization of common information data bases is an operational necessity. Role of CIOs In any organized HCOs, there is an accountability hierarchy which is considered critical. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) heads this critical organ in the HCOs. In a nutshell, the CIO’s role has been transferred from the computer room right to the heart of medical operations. Unlike in the past where CIO’s role was mainly to support and implement, today their roles have changed dramatically. They need excellent contribution skills in health care, impeccable managerial skills as well as negotiation skills. One of the chief roles of the CIO is to convince other people in the industry about the importance of information and persuade them to make use of it effectively (Griffith & White, 2006). The CIO and their staff are the center of many projects that need the involvement from other sectors of the health sector. These sectors are patient education, marketing, administration, human resources, and nursing. Additionally, the CIO maintains systems in order to protect information from being abused. In this regard, the CIO should identify confidentiality requirements as well as include controls to ensure the requirements are met. The elementary driver in health care today is care that is value based. There was a need for customized plans of care in order to ensure more effective care that is data driven. However, it is important to locate, gather and more so place the data in the correct hands. As a matter of fact, the title of the CIO reflects a wider scope of work (Payne, 2008). Their responsibilities are not those of the Information Technology Manager or even the Information Systems Manager. The role of the CIO requires one to know all the different departments within the HCO. CIOs are instrumental in balancing the technology needs with the objectives of executives, clinicians, patients along with their families. In addition, they tackle issues regarding education, privacy, productivity as well as patient satisfaction. Challenges Faced by CIOs Being a new title in the health circles, the responsibilities CIOs are facing take a new dimension with every passing year. Probably, the biggest challenge the CIOs encounter in today’s health sphere is the securing of patients’ data. In essence, patients’ medical records should remain confidential and, thus, they should not be leaked outside the hospital. Physicians and doctors in general do not want to enter patients’ records after their rounds in traditional computers. Instead they want to use their smart phones and tablets to record the data. Recording on their tablets and smart phones is faster and saves valuable time during rounds. However, as fast and efficient this could be, it puts the records at risk of exposure. Mobile devices have the risk of being stolen (Griffith & White, 2006). Additionally, these devices have much lower security than the secured computers, and, thus, the risk of compromising this information is magnified. So, it is the responsibility of the CIO to ensure that the physician can use the mobile device to update patient’s data faster. Simultaneously, the CIO and their staff should ensure that while the physician has an easy access to the patient’s record, the records are protected. Moreover, data collected in the health care sector are not of high quality. Existing systems are only used for billing purposes and do not concentrate on the condition of the patient. Thus, in case the patient’s condition is not accurately recorded, then monitoring is also a problem. In turn, doctors have a problem determining the improvement of the patient’s condition. It is the responsibility of the CIO to upgrade these systems. The new systems should include not only the bill, but also the details of the patient’s illness (Payne, 2008). This way, doctors can effectively monitor their patients and any data retrieved from these systems are said to be accurate. Through automation, it is believed that the quality of data will quickly improve and eliminate most coding errors. Finally, the linkage remains a huge problem for the CIOs. As already mentioned, the CIOs oversee all the departments of the hospital. Therefore, the computer systems run by different departments need to be interconnected. The problem here is that various departments use different programs to run. It may be hard to develop and implement a single program to integrate all the departments (Griffith & White, 2006). However, once this is done it will be much easier to run the hospital and ensure the patient’s records are safe. In a nutshell, gone are the days when the IT office in a hospital was for complex processes. Today, IT is an integral part of running any health unit which expands the role of the CIO. The title may be new within the health circles, but with time people are appreciating the role of CIOs. They remain actively involved in strategic planning in the health care sector. Their role is critical both now and in the future since they are directly involved in health care infrastructure. References Griffith, J. R., & White, K. R. (2006). The well-managed healthcare organization. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press. Payne, T. H. (2008). Practical guide to clinical computing systems: Designs, operations and infrastructure. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Read More