Managing Information Technology - Case Study Example

Managing Information Technology Program: Supervisor: August 8, Managing Information Technology Currently, few network communications can be termed as more affordable and of the standards of mobile medical clinics. This is mainly due to the ability of this model to get access to remote zones with its vast range of equipment such as x-rays, ultrasound, surgery rooms, and laboratories. However, telemedicine can provide a more affordable approach in healthcare services to isolated communities although its range of services is limited to outpatient services.

The service allows patients to access medical care from doctors and other healthcare professionals without necessarily having to travel. This approach helps reduce cases of outpatient visits while allowing health professionals to verify drug prescriptions to patients in remote areas (Ciampa & Revels, 2013). The federal government’s HITECH stimulus funds and Meaningful Use standards can only be expected to lead to better software integration solutions considering the approach taken by the program.

The program requires that healthcare providers apply their electronic systems fully; more than just as tools for electronic medical charts (Wager, Lee & Glaser, 2013). This will help increase quality and efficiency while enabling coordinated healthcare. By providing incentives to eligible professionals who exhibit significant application of a licensed EHR, the program will further ensure that providers embrace the need for integrated software solutions. According to Coplan & Masuda (2011), the increase in software adoptions at physician offices will not necessarily make it difficult for them to retain staff.

On the contrary, these developments will lead to a shift in roles as physicians increasingly depend on their staff’s help in data collection and entry. Studies have shown that most physicians have been compelled by prevailing circumstances to reassign tasks to their front office staff. Additionally, nurses will have an added role, different from their traditional role that involved tasks such as rooming patients and taking blood tests. Under the EHR program, nurses will be expected to enquire for more information from patients that will serve to provide physicians with a clear health record of these patients in future (Dwivedi, 2009).

Despite its benefits, the mobile medical clinics model faces several emerging conditions that could make it obsolete. Lack of space and medical equipment that can support high quality and timely healthcare services could make it difficult for health professionals to provide their services in remote areas. In order for these services to be delivered, there is need for a reliable source of power. Additionally, acquiring technological equipment such as computers that will aid in communication may be costly for health professionals willing to engage in this practice.

Equally, physicians need to comply with regulatory standards set by the federal government as well as institutions such as JCHAO when providing mobile medical services (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Perkins & Wainright, 2012). Hostile climatic conditions can also make it difficult for physicians to access remote areas since the model does not support transportation services through air and water. When the above conditions prevail, the ability of the model to provide timely healthcare services is significantly impaired.

ReferencesBrown, C., DeHayes, D., Hoffer, J., Perkins, W. & Wainright, M. (2012). Managing information technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Ciampa, M. & Revels, M. (2013). Introduction to healthcare information technology. Boston, MA: Course Technology. Coplan, S. & Masuda, D. (2011). Project management for healthcare information technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Dwivedi, A. (2009). Handbook of research on information technology management and clinical data administration in healthcare.

Hershey, PA: Medical Information Science Reference.Wager, K., Lee, F. & Glaser, J. (2013). Health care information systems: A practical approach for health care management. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.