Public Health Informatics - Coursework Example

Benefits and Relevance of Public Health Informatics Student’s Name Class Date Benefits and Relevance of Public Health Informatics Introduction The ever-changing trend in information technology is causing digital revolution in all areas of operation including the administration of health services across the world. Introduction of digital platform in medicine is completely changing different areas of medicine such as recording, storage, retrieval, and analysis of health information. Through computerized technology, substantial improvement is evident in delivery of public health services. Professionals in public health are constantly relying on the computerized tools to enhance efficiency and accuracy, elements that promote satisfaction of service consumers. In other words, increasing application of digital systems in the administration of public health services is continuously transforming healthcare and quickening the transition from manual to computerized health records in both developed and developing countries. Public health personnel and industry regulators are appreciating the significant impact of public health informatics on workers’ efficiency and quality of services rendered to the communities. Public health informatics refers to the consistent utilization of information technology to learning, research, and the practice in the field of public health. The element of informatics involves application of digital tools especially in recording, storage, retrieval, and analyzing data. The technology replaces the use of manual tools such as physical notebooks and pens when recording data in the field. Adoption of digital platform requires the public health professional to use computerized gadget when recording data, store the same in the computer system. In this case, the data captured from the field is made available to other system users in different locations. In a nutshell, informatics enables public health personnel to engage each other from different locations, the aspect which facilitates smooth collaboration. Detailed review of the current literature demonstrates benefits and relevance of public health informatics to service consumers, professionals, and other stakeholders. This research paper contains Literature review, methodology, findings and analysis, discussion, and recommendations on the application of public health informatics in different organizations. Literature Review Dixon, Kharrazi, and Lehmann (2015) observe that public health outcome depends on how professionals collect, store, analyze, and transmit information in the course of their duty. In their view, the main role of public health informatics is to enhance the way personnel handle relevant data in the course of research and practice. Sahay, Sundararaman, and Braa (2017) concur with this view by referring public health informatics as the critical factor behind the current efficiency in service delivery and consumers’ satisfaction. These scholars assert that application of digital tools in managing public health records transformed the service delivery in the sector in many ways. Public health professionals were able to share information from remote locations, data retrieval became easier, and the analysts started to take shorter period in analyzing and interpreting information (79). In the long run, Vest and Issel (2014) point out that informatics facilitated better outcome and efficient collaboration among partners and stakeholders in different levels within the public health industry. Bakota, Arnold, and Yang (2016) present public health informatics as an essential aspect in the transformation of learning programs, which significantly enhances knowledge among both learners and practitioners. The introduction of public health informatics in the learning curriculum provides the basis of consistent application of information technology in this particular field (65). Sepulveda (2014) clarifies that health status of the population depends on how public health workers collect, store, transmit, analyze, and interpret data related to health of that particular community. In this case, the scholar argues that emphasizing the relevance of public health informatics to learners is likely to improve future practice especially in the areas of handling data, which influences policies and health outcome. Dixon, Pina, Kharrazi, Gharghabi, and Richards (2015) consider informatics as the crucial topic relevant authorities should consider when drafting training and development curricula for public health workers. Such aspect would facilitate efficient realization of desired goals in the sector. According to Qi et al (2015), quality service delivery in public health depends mainly on the accuracy in recording, transmission, analysis, and interpretation of patient data. Patient data is the primary aspect that informs the doctor’s opinion on the appropriate medication. In this case, Sepulveda (2014) views the adoption of information technology in managing health records as a path to enhancing accuracy in the analysis and interpretation of patient data, which is the core element that determines efficiency in care delivery. Public health informatics therefore enhances recording of the right data and promotes accurate interpretation. Magnuson and Fu (2014) elucidate that emergence of informatics is the major element that signifies drastic revolution in public health, which facilitates system’s response to changing demands in the global environment. To demonstrate the benefits associated with public health informatics, Miller et al (2015) propose the adoption of information technology in management of patients’ records. These scholars observe that health informatics enable the health organization to eliminate significant percentage of medical errors, which emanate from inaccurate patient records. Dixon et al (2015) supports this view by pointing out at the issue of cost implication of numerous law suits related to careless handling of patient information and wrong interpretation of data, which leads to inaccurate medication. By having health informatics system in place, Sahay et al (2017) state that public health workers are able to increase productivity with minimum input. In this regard, the system improves efficiency of workers and minimizes efforts needed to manage health information in hospitals. Vest and Issel (2014) reveals that most of benefits associated with public health informatics emanate from its data-sharing capability. The digital system provides health workers with the reliable platform to share patients’ data in the course of consultation. Bakota et al (2016) provide the practical scenario where public health workers use the technology to consult their peers in different locations. Sharing information enhances accurate decision making when professionals encounter complex cases both in research and practice. According to Sahay et al (2017), most public health workers in developing countries are appreciating the emergence of computerized technology, an element that allows sharing with other professionals with an aim of seeking assistance. Health workers therefore can engage peers in remote location whenever a need arises especially when seeking the opinion of another practitioner in a certain complex issue. Research Methodology Capacity Assessment Survey The researcher used 2015 Informatics Capacity Assessment Survey to conduct data for this study. He selected web-based survey, restricted to representative sample of 420 participants. The study concentrated on local health departments where actual impact of informatics is verifiable. The respondents in this survey were informatics personnel in local health organizations. Out of the 420 participants, 370 completed the survey, a number that represented 88 percent of respondents. Some participants could not complete the exercise due to their tight schedule while others did not give specific reason for not completing the survey. The researcher provided variety of questions which sought to obtain information on the participants’ feelings about the adoption of public health informatics in their respective departments. The main target of the study was the respondent’s view on the informatics’ capacity to meet the desired outcome. Again, the survey wanted to evaluate the capacity of respondents in utilizing the public health informatics in their daily assignments. The survey aimed at determining whether the departments have adequate control over the informatics infrastructure and whether there are training needs reported by the IT personnel. The researcher utilized complete surveys only, discarding those that were incomplete. The study examined variables that demonstrated increased capacity of informatics in the local health departments. The main variables in this study included personnel needs, activity of departments, and control of informatics arrangement. Respondents had to allocate each variable a score from 1 to 10 to indicate individual feelings. Using the regression analysis, the researcher created a model that explained activities of the department. The study compared the respondents’ rating of the IT system against the score for each dependent variable. Observation The researcher utilized observation as one of the methods for collecting data for this study. By visiting the local health departments and observing the way staff interacted with the computerized system, the researcher recorded several variables. These variables included staff movement from one location to another transferring patient files, time each staff took to execute a particular task using the IT System and general mood among the public health workers in the departments. The study’s main interest was how the personnel interacted with the system and the perceived efficiency. Also, the researcher observed the use of manual files in each department in comparison to the utilization of computerized system when taking patients’ records especially at the reception. Besides the reception, the researcher concentrated on other areas such as laboratory, pharmacy, and billing department. The major target in this exercise was to examine the reliance of computerized system over manual files in different departments of the local health organization. In this exercise, the researcher was keen on observing the frequency of using computerized system in comparison to using paperwork. At the reception, the study looked at how health workers recorded patient’s data and how they relayed the same to other relevant health professionals within the organization. The amount of time these health workers take to attend to the patient is part of the interest for this exercise. Besides, the researcher observed the patients’ movement from one point to another in the out-patient department. Findings and Analysis In capacity assessment survey, the researcher aimed to evaluate variables such as departmental control, workforce needs, and informatics activities. The research found that large organizations had more control of the informatics. The study revealed that the size of the organization was directly proportional to the size of the workforce and level of control. Since large organizations have large size of personnel, the study revealed that they have more workforce needs. The IT staff and health workers needed more training on the utilization of the public health informatics in their day-to-day engagement. In the same way, small organizations have lower control of the informatics due to fewer activities. Where activities are few, the study realized that the need for the application of informatics is low. From the study, it was found that IT staff had fewer training needs since they were well-versed with computerized systems compared to health workers. Significant percentage of health workers needed further training on basic computer skills to enhance the application of health informatics in their day-to-day activities. Employees’ development was evident as the predominant need among large organizations, where the application of health informatics is exercised in almost every activity. More health workers needed additional training on using analytical software in interpreting statistical and qualitative data. Large organizations utilized informatics in almost every activity, indicating the need for highly skilled personnel in Information Technology. The informatics infrastructure in these organizations is also complex. On the other hand, the service deliver and quality of output in large departments where health workers apply informatics is high. The regression analysis revealed that there was higher satisfaction when organizations had more control of the health informatics. The local control would allow the individual organization to customize features of the system hence making it relevant to the local needs. Where the organization emphasizes the use of public health informatics, there is high efficiency and satisfaction among workers. In the observation, the study found that there is a less paperwork in large organizations. Most health workers did not have to record information in papers but used the computer to input data. The patient did not have to take physical records with them while moving from one room to another. Again, these organizations did not have chunks of files in the cabinet since most records are stored in the computer. When handling frequent visitors, the nurse at reception had the data ready in the computer. These nurses are able to retrieve data for the previous visit before proceeding with the diagnosis. Patient data is recorded, stored, retrieved, and transmitted using the computer system. Health workers could execute tasks efficiently using the computer within the short period hence able to carry out more activities with ease. Discussion From the research, it is clear that public health informatics is at the core of transformation of service delivery in the sector. The informatics grows with the size of the organization, whereby large health organizations apply informatics in most of their operations compared to small organizations. Due to the changing demands of the population across the world, large organizations are increasingly adopting informatics in order to meet these needs. In the survey, organizations with large jurisdiction had more training needs in terms of staff capabilities in applying the computerized system in their daily activities. Application of informatics in these organizations contributed to the increase of skills among the personnel, an element that enhances performance and satisfaction. In other words, with growing adoption of public health informatics, there is transformation of both personnel skills and their output. The adoption of public health informatics contributes to the growth and development of workers’ skills, where the organization facilitates further learning among its workers. This aspect enhances workers’ productivity, satisfaction, and overall outcome. The need for further training of the personnel implies that organizations are willing to bear the cost associated with the implementation of public health informatics. In this case, further training of employees who use the system to execute their duties serves the purpose of meeting the demands of informatics, which in turn meets the expectations of the organization. Running an organization using informatics facilitates overall efficiency of health workers and improved productivity. In a nutshell, introduction of public health informatics brings about the cycle of transformation, which improves the output of the entire system. Application of informatics does not only meet the demands of the organization but also facilitates customers’ satisfaction. The research indicates that public health informatics enhances service delivery, an element that enables health workers to raise output thus increasing the service rate (Miller et al., 2015). When the customer receives the service within the short period, s/he is more likely to go home satisfied compared to when the patient spend a lot of time receiving treatment. Note that the digital platform is able to display the medical history of the patient, hence enabling the consultant to make an informed decision on the suitable treatment. The health worker is able to analyze the patient’s condition easily and conclude on the way forward. In the long run, the patient receives accurate diagnosis and gets the appropriate treatment, which contributes to the patient satisfaction and the desired outcome. Conclusion Public health informatics has become the pillar of transformation in the health sector. Most organizations are currently striving towards adopting the emerging computer technology in managing health records. Adoption of informatics enables the organization to respond appropriately to the emerging demands of the population. Besides, informatics contributes towards further training of public health workers, an element that improves personnel skills and competence. Consequently, the organization is able to eliminate unnecessary paperwork and enhance workers’ effectiveness as well as the patients’ outcome. Despite the cost associated with training of employees, implementation of public health informatics provides organizations with the opportunity to realize their objectives efficiently. References Bakota, E., Arnold, R., & Yang, B. (2016). Investigating informatics activity, control, and training needs in large, medium, and small health departments. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 22(6), 63-87. Dixon, B. E., Kharrazi, H., & Lehmann, H. P. (2015). Public health and epidemiology informatics: recent research and trends in the United States. Yearbook of medical informatics, 10(1), 199-214. Dixon, B. E., Pina, J., Kharrazi, H., Gharghabi, F., & Richards, J. (2015). What’s past is prologue: a scoping review of recent public health and global health informatics literature. Journal of Public Health Informatics, 7(2), 98-156. Magnuson, J. A., & Fu, P. C. (2014). Public health informatics and information systems. Springer, London: UK. Miller, C., Ishikawa, C., DeLeon, M., Huang, M., Ising, A., & Bakota, E. (2015). Joint recommendations for the public health informatics infrastructure. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 21(5), 516-518. Qi, X., Wang, Y., Xia, L., Meng, Y., Li, Y., Yu, S., & Zhuang, D. (2015). Cross-sectional survey on public health informatics workforce in China: issues, developments and the future. Journal of Public Health Practice, 129(11), 1459-1464. Sahay, S., Sundararaman, T., & Braa, J. (2017). Public Health Informatics: Designing for change-a developing country perspective. Oxford University Press. Sepulveda, M. (2014). Public health informatics and the public health workforce in an era of change. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47(5), 386-387. Vest, J. R., & Issel, L. M. (2014). Factors related to public health data sharing between local and state health departments. Health services research, 49(1pt2), 373-391. Read More