Trends in Health Information Systems and Applications - Essay Example

"Trends in Health Information Systems and Applications" is a perfect example of a paper on the health system. Information systems provide a platform within an organization where different stakeholders can hold vital information needed to accomplish their duties in a timely and seamless manner. A standard information system saves time and other resources associated with delays of information of communication barriers between various parties. However, given a health care setting where physicians are unable to decipher information from nurses or doctors in a timely manner, such a situation is likely to be wasteful in terms of time, accuracy in terms of prescriptions, and lack of patient satisfaction. In addition, a situation that requires physicians to prescribe drugs that are not confirmed as the results of the required drug to a health care crisis in which the different entities do not have a standard system to enable communication across them in a timely manner. Hence fore, this situation calls for an intervention associated with the creation of an information system that enables flawless communication among all stakeholders (Szolovits, 2003). In addition, a contemporary health care information system is more efficient if it gives room for the patient to access some of the information.

Solution: Information System Design

            A standard information system is comprised of a number of workstations, a database, a client platform, and a security protocol for securing the data provided or fed into the system. however, a standard language is required in this case in order to ensure that the people accessing the information system are able to decipher the information correctly. The situation at hand shows that there is no flow of information between nurses, doctors, and physicians with the end result leading to a lack of coordination among these parties. With reference to organizations such as TELUS Health, information systems such as OACIS and DIS provide real-time access to information related to a patient, the prescriptions to the patient, the personal information of the patient, and the overall medical situation of the patient. In this case, a replica information system that integrates mobile devices is much viable for the situation available. The following variables and characteristics of the standard information system are vital and required within a contemporary health care setting.

• Through a wireless connection, all stakeholders – doctors, nurses, and physicians – should be able to access the information system at any given time to update patient information.
• The information system should incorporate uniform coding, terminology, and allow standardization of data (LeGrow, and Metzger, 2001).
• To ensure access authenticity, the information system should incorporate security protocols in which databases are only accessible to authorized personnel.
• With the upper hand in information access through a wireless connection, personnel should be able to access the information needed through mobile devices cutting time wastage.
• The input of patient information is done directly to the information and this information is available to all stakeholders who have a specific need with the information.
• Patients should have a domain in which they can update their information with regards to location and contact details change.
• Patients reporting unexpected results from drugs can access the information system to consult health care personnel from the organization.
• With reference to TELUS Health’s information systems, OACIS and DIS, the information system design for this situation will incorporate data input segments for patient diagnosis results, personal information, prescriptions, medical history, referral details, self-evaluation window for patient self-reporting (TELUS Health, 2014).
• A link to medical libraries to help health care professionals with research related to the medical requirements of the patient.

 

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