eHealth Information Systems Study
For the purpose of our report we have chose the Department of Health and Ageing’s eHealth system. This choice differs slightly from the instructions of the assignment as eHealth is not a current information system - i.e. it is still being designed and implemented. The key motivation behind decision was we assumed management would much rather a report on a new and upcoming system than one they would most probably already know about. If we have to write a report to management, they don’t need analysis of their current systems, they should know them – so we have decided to why to provide some analysis on a system currently being implemented.
Choosing eHealth gave us greater scope for the inclusion of our own considerations and analysis, which is most evident in the rich picture and transaction process diagrams that we have created. Conversely, one drawback of this choice was the need for assumption was heightened. We have detailed our assumptions in this report also.
eHealth Background
“e-Health is the electronic management of health information to deliver safer, more efficient, better quality healthcare. The Australian Government is fully committed to e-Health and has allocated $188+ million to help facilitate the transition of paper-based clinical record keeping to electronic means for better information exchange” .
E-health falls within a nation wide movement for change in the health sector. The key drivers for this movement seek to improve the safety, reliability, accessibility and quality of patient information. eHealth is a proposition which seeks to create a standardised electronic health information service for all in the health sector. It will provide a variety of information that is currently stored entirely in folders and paper. E-Health main task is to reduce costs while increasing the speed and accessibility of this information while furthering the security surrounding this sensitive information.
eHealth in the News
eHealth has been an issue firmly fixed in the public eye for a long period of time. Much like Centerlink’s Smart Card project, eHealth has political drivers constantly pushing its implementation. Calls for its implementation span as far back as the early 2000s as evidenced by Health Minister Tony Abbott’s description for its need:
“..an electronic health record, communicated electronically among health care providers, would mean safer, better, more convenient and more efficient health care. For doctors and other professionals, it means less repetitive taking of
For years now, the healthcare system in the United States have managed patient’s health records through paper charting, this has since changed for the better with the introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) system. This type of system has helped healthcare providers, hospitals and other ambulatory institutions extract data from a patient’s chart to help expedite clinical diagnosis and providing necessary care. Although this form of technology shows great promise, studies have shown that this system is just a foundation to the next evolution of health technology. The transformation of EMR to electronic heath record system (EHR) is the ultimate goal of the federal government.
In an effort to further improve the Australian Health Care System, an initiative was formulated in December 2008 in the Australian Health Ministers Conference for a National E-Health Strategy. This aims to formulate consolidated medical information of all Australians with the aim of optimizing the quality and efficiency of health delivery through electronic communications and information technology to ensure the right health info at the right time and place in a manner that privacy is secured. This initiative was highly regarded as a major achievement of the incumbent government upon its complete realization.
E-Health may have developed as an integral platform for the health industry to build upon and shape itself towards the future but this does not cover the drawbacks that this platform carries along. In spite of all the pros of this field, the cons should not be overshadowed as these cons can be a major setback to the rapidly growing and progressing health industry. Because of the infancy of this platform, lack of standards and initial setbacks like the startup cost, regular maintenance and update, privacy protection and some legal issues have been seen as major hurdles to its development.
“An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users.” (healthit.gov) The EHR mandate was created “to share information with other health care providers and organizations – such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and school and workplace clinics – so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care.” ("Providers & Professionals | HealthIT.gov", n.d., p. 1) The process has proved to be quite challenging for providers. As an incentive, the government began issuing payments to those providers who “meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.” (hhs.gov) There are three stages that providers must progress through in order to receive theses financial incentives. Stage one is the initial stage and is met with the creation and implementation of the HER in the business. Stage two “increases health information exchange between providers.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) Stage three will be the continuation and expansion of the “meaningful use objectives.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) The hospital, where I work, initiated the HER mandate many years ago. In this paper, I will discuss the progression and the challenges that my hospital encountered while implementing the EHR mandate.
Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a digital collection of patient health information instead of paper chart that captures data at the point of collection, supports clinical decision-making and integrates data from multiple sources in any care delivery settings. The health record includes patient’s demographics, progress notes, past medical history, vital signs, medications, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports. National Alliance for the Health Information Technology defines EHR as, “ an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more
The purpose of this article is to review, summarize, and outline the key aspects to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009. The outcomes discussed in this article are based on clinical, organizational, and societal outcomes based on EHR’s. Included in these outcomes is improvement in the quality of care, increase in financial and operational performance, patient and clinician satisfaction and conduction of research. The author also implicates disadvantages to EHR’s such as financial issues, changes in workflow, loss in productivity due to the learning curve caused by EHR’s and this is just to name a few. This article will use the benefits and drawbacks to further expand on the topic of electronic medical and health
This paper will identify the use of Electronic Health Records and how nursing plays an important role. Emerging in the early 2000’s, utilizing Electronic Health Records have quickly become a part of normal practice. An EHR could help prevent dangerous medical mistakes, decrease in medical costs, and an overall improvement in medical care. Patients are often taking multiple medications, forget to mention important procedures/diagnoses to providers, and at times fail to follow up with providers. Maintaining an EHR could help tack data, identify patients who are due for preventative screenings and visits, monitor VS, & improve overall quality of care in a practice. Nurse informaticists play an important role in the adaptation, utilization, and functionality of an EHR. The impact the EHR could have on a general population is invaluable; therefore, it needs special attention from a trained professional.
The U. S government passed the American Recovery Act in 2009 that established incentives and penalties to promote EHR use. From this legislation the Meaningful Use Program for EHR’s s was created. Through The Meaningful Use Program the U.S. government is able to support the adoption and use of EHR technology to enhance and revolutionize health care. The goal of the program is to increase EHR adoption, improve quality, safety, reduce disparities, and improve public health (hmsa , 2012).
Unfortunately, the quality of health care in America is flawed. Information technology (IT) offers the potential to address the industry’s most pressing dilemmas: care fragmentation, medical errors, and rising costs. The leading example of this is the electronic health record (EHR). An EHR, as explained by HealthIT.gov (n.d.), is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. It includes, but is not limited to, medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans. The EHR, then, serves as a resource that aids clinicians in decision-making by providing comprehensive patient information.
290). Throughout numerous healthcare organizations, e-Health techniques are regarded as vital to the delivery of quality, patient-centred health care. The e -technology can improve patient-physician relationships, to guide aimed questions for greater understanding of health conditions and better management of the health disorders. As per The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services e-Health initiatives will help the health care industry deliver higher quality care and reduce costs. Among the limitations and shortcomings of E-health are the chances of impersonality, e-Health applications might not be user-friendly and commonly available. Patients also need to develop confidence in E-health. Concerns about privacy and security of information have slowed the development of this initiative (McGonigle & Garver Mastrian, 2015, p. 290). It is critical to assure the security of health-related medical records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is the main Federal laws that protects patient’s health information. The Law requires the organizations that manage health information to have policies and safeguards to protect health information saved on paper or
Did you ever think about how much time is spent on computers and the internet? It is estimated that the average adult will spend over five hours per day online or with digital media according to Emarketer.com. This is a significant amount; taking into consideration the internet has not always been this easily accessible. The world that we live in is slowly or quickly however you look at it: becoming technology based and it is shifting the way we live. With each day more and more people use social media, shop online, run businesses, take online classes, play games, the list is endless. The internet serves billions of people daily and it doesn’t stop there. Without technology and the internet, there would be no electronic health record. Therefore, is it important for hospitals and other institutions to adopt the electronic health record (EHR) system? Whichever happens, there are many debates about EHR’s and their purpose, and this paper is going to explain both the benefits and disadvantages of the EHR. Global users of the internet can then decide whether the EHR is beneficial or detrimental to our ever changing healthcare system and technology based living.
Blobel, Bernd, R Engelbrecht, and Michael A. Shifrin. Large Scale Projects in Ehealth: Partnership in Modernization ; Proceedings of the Efmi Special Topic Conference, 18-20 April 2012, Moscow, Russia. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2012. Internet resource.
Advances in technology have influences our society at home, work and in our health care. It all started with online banking, atm cards, and availability of children’s grades online, and buying tickets for social outings. There was nothing electronic about going the doctor’s office. Health care cost has been rising and medical errors resulting in loss of life cried for change. As technologies advanced, the process to reduce medical errors and protect important health care information was evolving. In January 2004, President Bush announced in the State of the Union address the plan to launch an electronic health record (EHR) within the next ten years (American Healthtech, 2012).
Studies have implied that, healthcare professionals who practice clinical features through EHR were far more likely provide better preventive care than were healthcare professionals who did not. (page 116). From 2004, EHR has initiated, even the major priority of President Obama’s agenda is EHR (Madison & Stagger, 2011). Health care administration considers EHR as the introduction of advanced technology which can improve patient satisfaction are can increase the financial incentives of the healthcare organization. Studies have pointed out that the federal policy is proposed to transform all medical records into EHR (Hebda & Calderone, 2010).
The purpose of the Electronic Health Record is to provide a comprehensive, standardized and universal digital version of a patient 's health records. The availability of a patient 's digital health record provides health information and data for critical thinking and evidence based decision-making, aggregates patient data for quality assurance and research. The Electronic Health Record has been, "identified as a strategy for effectively and efficiently coordinating and maintaining documentation of patients health histories and as a secure method of providing more informed clinical decision making" (MNA, 2006).