Health Information Management and Health Care Documents - Essay Example

"Health Information Management and Health Care Documents" is a wonderful example of a paper on the health system. “Health Information Management” (HIM) denotes the care and maintenance of healthcare records by organizations involved in the healthcare industry. “Health Information Managers” identify future and present information requirements of an organization and develop health information policy as well as plan and maintain information systems and the information gathered and stored within the system. In addition, they work with other professionals in collecting, storing, using and transmitting health information in a manner that meets the professional, legal, administrative, and ethical requirements of the health industry. The role played by the HIM is essential in determining care, resource allocation, problem detection, and overall effectiveness of the operation.

            In view of the definition of the role and scope of operation of health information managers, the content in sections 418-104 of the Hospice regulations may help define the role and work-related actions of the manager (Office of the Federal Register 245). The document helps health information managers to determine what kind of information should be collected on patients within the hospice. The document also helps the information manager in designing the regulatory framework, which defines access to patient records. Therefore, the document may help the manager define a framework that dictates, which information should be collected, how it should be stored, who can be allowed to access it and the patient’s care can be handled through advance directives (Office of the Federal Register 245). The manager may use this information to define compliance and ensure that all processes of information management are compliant with legal, ethical, and administrative standards. The document is thus a reference framework for compliance requirements. For example, the manager may decide how long patient documents should be stored by following the recommended standard retention period within this document (Office of the Federal Register 245).  As such, the provision will also help the manager make appropriate resource allocation, by for example determining how much storage space should be reserved for records of existent and dead patients (Office of the Federal Register 245). Finally, the document helps the manager decide on which authorities or personnel should access or receive the documents in case of transfer, demise, or discharge. In essence, the document serves the great purpose of helping hospice information managers in meeting legal, ethical, and administrative compliance (Office of the Federal Register 245).

            The “Palliative Performance Scale” is a document developed by ‘Victoria Hospice Society. The document serves various purposes in care delivery relating to palliative care patients. Firstly, the document serves a prognostic purpose because it helps in defining the patient’s clinical status including the ability to ambulate, level of disease, and consciousness (clinical elements) (Victoria Hospice Society 2). Secondly, the document defines the care level that should be accorded to individual patients. It is thus an important tool in defining and designing care (Victoria Hospice Society 2). Thirdly, the document helps in defining and assessing the workload in the care of individual patients. This is helpful to practitioners in assigning roles of care. As such, it is an overall care definition document that defines care by first assessing the recording patients’ indicators of health (Victoria Hospice Society 2).

            In conclusion, such health care documents are essential records that define care protocols, which are significant in enhancing quality care in the health sector.

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