Healthcare Information Systems - Essay Example

Healthcare Information Systems Healthcare information systems also known as health informatics, biomedical informatics, clinical informatics or medical informatics entails a field at the intersection of health care, behavioral science, social science, computer and information science (Wager, 2013). In most cases, the discipline deals with devices, resources and methods that are required to optimize the retrieval, acquisition, storage and the use of healthcare information and biomedicine. The discipline tools include computers, medical terminologies, clinical guidelines and communication and information systems (Ginter, 2013).

Alternatively, the discipline is divided into four different categories; the clinical information systems, strategic decision support, management and e-health applications. Clinical Information systems In the healthcare information systems, the clinical information system is the kind of system that supports patient care. Alternatively, this system entails the computerized patient record systems, patient monitoring systems, automated medical instrumentation, nursing information systems, clinical decision support systems, pharmacy information systems and the laboratory information systems (Ginter, 2013).

Most of these systems tend to support clinical education and research. In the contemporary word, the clinical information systems tend to create a significant competitive advantage due to its effectiveness and efficiency when it comes to patient care (Ginter, 2013). The clinical information systems also act as a health problems dictionary for clinicians since they offer a perfect background of patient’s health. Management information system Management information system or rather the administrative information system is the type of system that tends to support different health care areas apart from the direct patient care.

In most cases, the management information system includes the financial information systems, payroll, human resources systems, materials and facilities management, purchasing, billing, office automation, outpatient clinic scheduling among others (Wager, 2013). Strategic decision support Also known as the strategic information system, this healthcare information system attempts to take immense unorganized data quantities and turn the data into useful information that enables administrators to make better decision (Ginter, 2013).

Most of these decisions regarding the information systems involve the organization of data and the interpretation of the output involved. E-health applications E-health application is a contemporary term in health care practice that is mainly supported by electronic communications and processes. However, the use of the e-health application term generally varies and in some cases, it is substitutable with healthcare informatics whose broad definition covers the digital or the electronic health processes.

On the other hand, some users of the system see it as the aspect of using internet in Medicare. E-health applications include various health applications and links that connect with mobile phones known as M-Health (Wager, 2013, 94). The introduction of this particular service in the medical world was after the continued increase in medical insecurity. Therefore, there was the need for enacting a better regulations and cyber-security in the medical systems. E-health is generally seen as a perfect solution to some of the growing medical threats across the globe.

In as much as the four categories of health care information systems are all important in the medical field, the categories generally differ in terms of their importance in Medicare. An aspect such as the E-health application is a modern aspect that has not been in existence over the last years which therefore makes it less important (Ginter, 2013). The clinical information systems remain the most important category when it comes to health care information since it acts as a health problems dictionary for clinicians because it offers a perfect background of patient’s health.

It also remains the backbone in the providence of health care to patients. The management and the Strategic decision support then follow respectively. ReferencesGinter, P. M., Duncan, W. J., & Swayne, L. E. (2013). Strategic management of health care organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2013). Health care information systems: A practical approach for health care management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.