Communication Systems in Healthcare - Essay Example

"Communication Systems in Healthcare" is a great example of a paper on the health system. Cedars Sinai Medical Center is one of the healthcare organizations that provide the best surgical and medical services to patients in Los Angeles. The quality of these services is determined by the type of organizational model used by the hospital. A functional structure is the most common type of organizational model, used by the hospital, for grouping health care workers by department and various hospital functions.

This ultimately leads to the integration of jobs by knowledge and skills and enhancing the efficiency of the healthcare workforce (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2012).A functional structure forms the base for integrating people, technology, and information of the Cedars Sinai Medical Center. It also serves as a major structural element for allowing the hospital to maximize the value of its services. The Cedars Sinai Medical Center has various functional areas which include: nursing, clinical departments, laboratory services among others.

In addition, there has been a need for different individuals, in the functional areas, to share patient information and deliver their best services (Lombardi & Schermerhorn, 2007).Cedars Sinai Medical Center uses the technique of forming a ‘space’ as a means of sharing information in their various factional areas. The ‘space’ is the portion of the total amount of information transactions involving interpersonal interaction. For instance, telephone calls face to face conversations, letters, and emails among others.

However, it is only the use of face-to-face conversations that seem to be an effective technique for sharing information. The use of telephone calls, letters, and e-mails has been ineffective (Coiera, 2006).Cedars Sinai Medical Center needs to improve the communication system relating to the use of telephones and e-mails. Most of the time, the individuals in various functional areas seem too busy to respond to emails and phone calls. There must be a team of respondents that are mainly set aside for receiving telephone calls and e-mails.

This team should pay attention to the immediate demand of the message received and should remain uninterrupted. In addition, more communication devices should be introduced such as fax machines, personal digital assistants, and telephones to improve communication.