MediTech Healthcare Information System - Case Study Example

Full Paper Contents 3 2 Terminology 3 3 Philosophical Views of the E.H.R 4 4 Challenges 6 5 Governance, Privacy and Legal Issues 7 6 Technical Issues 9 1 Abstract The essay demonstrates the terminology of Meditech that is a software and service company associated with health informatics. The company has contributed in the health care sector on massive scale with almost all types of health care solutions, however, there are some challenges regarding healthcare that are discussed in detail. Moreover, governance, privacy and legal issues associated with health care informatics are also illustrated along with technical constraints. 2 Terminology Latest technology in information systems improves the ability to promote the health equity challenges. Improper treatment of patients can lead to loss of life. Lots of patients lost their life due to late detection of the disease or being treated late. The integration of information technology is not up to mark due to low returns of revenue on the systems that are installed. Overhead of maintenance cost of these health care systems is also difficult to manage due to reduced funding. Developed countries are integrating computing technology and Internet to their critical infrastructure. Information Technology has modified the healthcare sector to enhance efficiency, quality and safety. The contribution of information technology in healthcare is relatively low. However, there are indications via surveys that investors are gearing up for increasing their investments. Although, a major barrier for healthcare systems includes the cost and complex implementation that may triggers significant work and cultural modifications. Moreover, the input for healthcare systems consists of Electronic Health Records (EHR). These records represent life history for patient’s health information produced by one or more encounters in any care delivery systems. Moreover, the electronic health facilitates doctors to extract medical life history at a glance, resulting in improved and fast response to medical treatment and medication for the patient. Information technology facilitate healthcare with instant access to rich information related to patients, on the other hand, protection of these electronic health records is utmost important. Medical Information Technology Inc. (MEDITECH) is software and Service Company that was established by Neil Pappalardo in 1969 located at Massachusetts, it is oriented at selling information systems widely installed around the globe in healthcare organizations (MEDITECH - healthcare information system ). Likewise, the company provides wide range of integrated HER designs to facilitate and assist organization to augment patient safety, mature processes and make organizations progress communication across within all departments and patient care functions. Moreover, the solutions designed from MEDITECH facilitate patient care staff to respond more effectively and delivering information to the relevant person along with illustrating it in a meaningful format (Plunkett, 2006). 3 Philosophical Views of the E.H.R The Patient Discharge Instructions Integrating Enables Care Providers to (Plunkett, 2006): Utilize Proven Content from Leading Evidence-based Content Vendors The three leading content providing vendors that are recently offering MEDITECH integrations includes: EBSCO Publishing, Krames Stay Well and Truven Health Analytics. These vendors are providing businesses a freedom to select the licensed content providers that you prefer. The patient related education is offered in easy-to-read and comprehensive style by these vendors. In addition, the information that is provided by these vendors is based on recent surveys and latest medical evidences. The content is made available in both English as, well as in Spanish language. The healthcare professionals are also recruited by these vendors in order to provided good quality service while reviewing the latest medical research and also uploading content on a regular basis. Streamline Discharge Workflows through Integration The MEDITECH’s Patient Discharge Instructions Integration lowers the time care providers spend creating educational handouts and tailoring them to their patient’s significant conditions. The standard MEDITECH discharge screens are used by a nurse or doctor during the time of discharge, this will help them to view evidences based on discharge instruction content offered by your preferred vendor. The default orders are based on the major complaints or patients problems this will result in the selection process. A patients demographic data and prescribed medication information, collected from throughout the EHR can also be automatically incorporated into the discharge packet. This increases workflow efficiency, minimizes data entry time for nurses and physicians, and provides them with more time to care for patients Incorporate Supplemental Instructions and Additional Information The activity restrictions, follow-up appointments and back to work information can be provided by the care takers with the help of specific information. These instructions are reviewed again before printing. Moreover, the supplemental patient’s instructions are attached including extra information generated by the healthcare institution. This information is printed in the same format as other patient’s instructions are thus creating a seamless appearance. Empower Patients and Meet the Joint Commission Requirements The MEDITECH’s Patient Discharge Instruction Integration allows the healthcare institutions to meet The Joint Commission needed for the patients and family education. The patients are empowered by the Evidence-based instructions from industry-leading content providers with the data particularly related to their recent conditions and acre. They offer them reminders of appointments and referrals. This will help to promote a better way of compliance along with the satisfied care received by the patients through their healthcare providers. Therefore, the patients are more satisfied with the care they received by these healthcare institutions. 4 Challenges As there are numerous advantages for health integrated with health IT, there are some challenges as well. The prospective to control the technology in order to transform Americans age is quite genuine. In fact, in the coming years several legal and social aspects should be taken under consideration in order to understand clearly about long-term health. The implementing cost of this technology limits its deployment and consumption widely. As a result, the number of American patients pays heavily to the health insurance as, well as to the health care professionals without any endorsement of improved care or protective care. Hence, the insurer has realized that by implementing the latest technology an enhanced care management as well as, reduced cost can be obtained. On the contrary, implementing cost of latest technology must be defaulted to the patients or the service providers. Moreover, technology associated with health such as ventilators, monitoring devices and wheelchairs are manufactured and designed to sustain or improve the life of the patient. Apart from these advantages, they can also result in stigmatization and social exclusion in the patients (Gibson, Upshur, Young, & McKeever, 2007). The implementation of latest technologies such as, an Electronic Health Record (EHR) in a nursing home can be expensive. In addition, it depends upon the several factors such as the product, the size of the nursing home and the functionalities of the system. However, cost related to the system upgrades and ongoing operational cost is high even after paying the initial cost. The pass on hospital or any health care provider charge the facility cost from the patients in order to provide the information in the community. Likewise, an additional cost is charged with the patients using the full facilities in the form of membership fee. However, the cost related to the EHRs will lower down as the cloud computing is developing as a result; electronic systems will become more affordable. The tele-health technology also needs a huge investment in the beginning whereas, health organizations such as, Medicare encourage the patients to utilize tele-health services. The remote monitoring service is only provided by tele-health as the element of their treatment procedure. In addition, tele-health technology is more effective and cost saving as compare to the other health providers. Although, the entire Medicare authorized organizations do not use this technology. This is because the devices for remote monitoring are much expensive. The cost related to acquiring these devices is much higher due to the advancement in technologies for example the potential of Smartphones and the competition in many organizations. The CMS have verified that the cost related to the implementation of latest technologies can be restored. In previous years computer systems and the technologies were only used for limited purposes in long-term health care. However, in modern days technology related to the long-term health care must be managed properly in order to get the most of it. The cost related to the implementation must be managed carefully in order to facilitate patients, clients and other who needs care or support. An additional cost is required in order to hire staff members that can maintain and use the technology and helps to provide better health care services to the patients. 5 Governance, Privacy and Legal Issues In order to minimize the cost of common administrative transactions, health plans, made the U.S congress optimistic to create an administrative outline of precise transactions related to electronic health data. (Chaikind, 2004) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 produced inducements for public and private partnerships to expand and deploy standards in order to standardize data related to health care in electronic administrative transactions related to health and standards for security and privacy of independently exclusive health information. The adaptation of HIPAA standards developed by accredited standards developing organizations clearly hold the guarantee led by US government. The transactions elected by Congress, the process of selecting the principles in the Department of Human Services and Health, the doctrine that steered these selections, and the actual selections, are presented. A prosperous joint venture for administrative health data standards may cover the way for accomplishment of data standards in clinical health and their associated application, in computerized patient record systems. In order to address the security issues, professionalism is required in terms of design and development, and acquisition and maintenance while operating electronic health records. However, health professional shares their own code of ethics which is not effective in terms of Health Information Professionals (HIPS). In order to minimize these issues, the International Medical Informatics Association is in the phase of acclimatizing a suitable code of ethics (Mennerat, 2002). Furthermore, the expectations from this code are as follows: Privacy of information and character Ingenuousness Security Accessibility Justifiable violation Slightest invasive Alterative Responsibility 6 Technical Issues Apart from the code of ethics, principle concerns are also related to the transmission of these digital records over the computerized network. Moreover, technical and organized measures are required when the computerized data travels on the network. In order to address the issues on the revolutionary advanced technology, expertise for the implementation cost and risk of dealing with the processed data is required. In terms of healthcare systems, it is not mandatory that the individual employing system will only operate and process the data in the system. The instructions can be passed for a processor who will access the system to process health care records. However, the processor must have adequate assurance of security. Moreover, the instructor must ensure strict compliance with the security requirements while passing instructions to the processor. Furthermore, a written contract is essential for only fulfilling instructions from a responsible instructor or senior healthcare professional. Besides, the key standards includes classification of security and safeguard profiles, passwords, algorithms for digital signatures, communication related to healthcare in a secure environment and health informatics. References Chaikind, H. R. (2004). The health insurance portability and accountability ACT (hipaa): Overview and analyses Novinka Books. Gibson, B. E., Upshur, R. E. G., Young, N. L., & McKeever, P. (2007). Disability, technology, and place: Social and ethical implications of long-term dependency on medical devices. Ethics, Place & Environment, 10(1), 7-28. doi: 10.1080/13668790601150685 Mennerat, F. (2002). Electronic health records and communication for better heath care: Proceedings of EuroRec 01 Ios PressInc. MEDITECH - healthcare information system Retrieved 12/16/2012, 2012, from https://www.meditech.com/productbriefs/pages/producthcis.htm Plunkett, J. W. (2006). Plunketts companion to the almanac of american employers 2006 (E-book) Plunkett Research, Limited. Read More