Dear Dr. Zarb and IHPME Selection Committee, It is with great enthusiasm that I submit to you this letter of intent in support of my application to the Master of Health Informatics Program at the University of Toronto. After thorough review of the program curriculum, learning objectives and teaching methodology, I am positive that the MHI Program’s specialized learning environment is well-aligned with my personal vision and professional development plans. I believe that my academic background, experience working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, as well as my personal interest in both learning about and contributing to the transformative field of health informatics, make me an ideal candidate for the program. Academic Background & Vision …show more content…
During my studies, I was especially drawn to issues pertaining to health governance and accountability. Much of my research was framed through an examination of the sociocultural forces which act to shape our perception of health as an institutional versus as an individual responsibility. An increase in the availability of health-related information has produced an eroding effect on the perceived authority held by the professional sphere in healthcare. This presents an opportunity not only to improve health outcomes for individuals, but also to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system. For instance, our current system is largely organized around the treatment of existing disease and degenerative medical conditions. Strategy grounded in preventative healthcare and health promotion could leverage informatics, IT-based innovation and trending information-seeking behaviour of individuals as a means of relieving the public healthcare system of functions and services which could otherwise be managed and monitored at an individual level. The …show more content…
More recently, I have also been well-situated to observe the everyday frustration that is currently being felt by frontline healthcare workers. Whether due to lack of consistency in terms of accessing and sharing information or problematic implementation of new technology, successful innovation in healthcare often seems compromised due to poor transitional planning. While I understand that we face significant and deeply-rooted challenges, I feel that it is important to recognize such shortcomings as necessary precursors to ensuring long-term and impactful change. Participation in the MHI Program would be an opportunity for me to showcase my resiliency, as well as apply the intense sense of dedication I have to my work, especially in the face of
SGH has been plagued with patient quality issues, therefore SGH finds itself in a situation which is inherently antithetical to the mission of the hospital. The costs of healthcare continue to rise at an alarming rate, and hospital boards are experiencing increased scrutiny in their ability, and role, in ensuring patient quality (Millar, Freeman, & Mannion, 2015). Many internal actors are involved in patient quality, from the physicians, nurses, pharmacists and IT administrators, creating a complex internal system. When IT projects, such as the CPOE initiative fail, the project team members, and the organization as a whole, may experience negative emotions that impede the ability to learn from the experience (Shepherd, Patzelt, & Wolfe, 2011). The SGH executive management team must refocus the organization on the primary goal of patient
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.
I am elated to celebrate Texas Independence Day by preparing my response to your call for the Project Director who will help make your beautiful dream a tangible reality, here in the heart of Texas. With broad and deep experience in bringing visions to life through my unique ability to direct the path of projects, I am confident that my record of delivering award-winning results will be well worth your time to review. After spending the last year patiently watching for a visionary project to appear that matches my own discerning criteria, I believe it has finally appeared in the form of the Pecan Street Project.
Health informatics is best described as the point where information science, medicine, and healthcare all meet. It encompasses the resources, devices, and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and the use of information in health and biomedicine. Health informatics incorporates tools such as: computers (hardware and softwar...
Quint Studer’s Hardwiring Excellence: Purpose, Worthwhile Work, and Making a Difference is a Business Week National Bestseller and is highly regarded by healthcare professionals across the country. The following document describes Studer’s key points, including the Five Pillars and Nine Principles that motivate and direct transformation in an organization. It also provides a critique of Studer’s text and analyzes appropriate applications for summer residency positions.
In recent discussions of healthcare, a controversial issue has been what is the source of the healthcare crisis. On the one hand, some argue that only capitalism plays a part in the crisis. From this perspective, one can only blame the hospitals for the United States low life expectancy rate. On the other hand, however one can argue that cultural norms and the fact that health care providers are loosing sight of their clients. This essay will address whether the health care crisis is because of capitalism, cultural norms or the disassociation between doctors and clients.
A country’s health care system refers to all the institutions, programs, personnel, procedures, and the resources that are used to meet the health needs of its population. Health care systems vary from one country to another, depending on government policies and the health needs of the population. Besides, health care programs are flexible in the sense that they are tailored to meet health needs as they arise. Among the stakeholders in the formulation of a country’s health care system are governments, religious groups, non-governmental organizations, charity organizations, trade/labor unions, and interested individuals (Duckett, 2008). These entities formulate, implement, evaluate, and reform health services according to the needs of the sections of the population they target.
The present environments for healthcare organizations contain many forces demanding unprecedented levels of change. These forces include changing demographics, increased customer outlook, increased competition, and strengthen governmental pressure. Meeting these challenges will require healthcare organizations to go through fundamental changes and to continuously inquire about new behavior to produce future value. Healthcare is an information-intensive process. Pressures for management in information technology are increasing as healthcare organizations feature to lower costs, improve quality, and increase access to care. Healthcare organizations have developed better and more complex. Information technology must keep up with the dual effects of organizational complication and continuous progress in medical technology. The literature review will discuss how health care organizations can provide effective care by the intellectual use of information.
Pursuing higher education in healthcare is what I have always desired. I believe that healthcare is a field for people who deeply care about the greater good for all human kind. However, after taking various courses in the Public Health major, I have decided to venture in a different direction. Yearning for something more towards the administrative and technical side has been a focal point in my collegiate career. When I discovered Health Informatics and Information Management (HIHIM), I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the perfect path moving forward.
Sociology of Health and Illness The sociological approaches focus on identifying the two sociological theories. We critically analysed the biomedical model and doctor-patient relationship. We also evaluated how the medical professionals exercise social control and the medical professional’s contribution to ill health. The difference between society and health is studied by sociologists in relation to health and illness.
To better understand the roles needed to enhance the public health infrastructure; one must first know the purpose of a health informatician. An informatician is a person who studies or work in the field of informatics. According to the American Medical Informatics Association Inc., “Public Health Informatics is the application of informatics in areas of public health, including surveillance, prevention, preparedness, and health promotion. Public health informatics and the related population informatics, work on information and technology issues from the perspective of groups of individuals” (2016). In order to build a solid infrastructure
Healthcare is changing daily and with technology these changes are occurring faster. Health informatics is one of these changes. It combines healthcare, information technology and business. This technology makes it easier for healthcare personnel to access client information and for clients to manage their healthcare.
Nesvisky, M. (2013). Does Health Information Technology Reduce Costs? NBER Digest, 4-5. Retrieved December 10, 2013 from Pubmed database http://www.nber.org/digest/oct01/w8359.html
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is reshaping the health care system in the United States at an accelerating rate. In earlier times US Healthcare system was more focused on intervention of diseases, but now it is moving more towards preventive approach and I see Health IT as the most important tool that can lead this change. I strongly believe that my professional goals, range and depth of my experience and knowledge is an asset and my enthusiasm for the field makes me an ideal candidate for the Master of Professional Studies in Technology Management (Health Information Technology) program at Georgetown University.
With movements made by the governments and medical professionals of developed countries in the interests of giving patients more choice, the definition of “healthy,” especially in contemporary society, has become subjective (Freemantle and Hill 2002, Armstrong 1995, Bury 2008, Van Krieken et al. 2006: 379-380). Variations in interpretation appear between groups divided along socio-political, demographical lines, or even between individuals themselves (Freemantle and Hill 2002: 864, Heath 2005: 954, Blaxter 2000:44, Van Krieken et al. 2006). This ambiguity has underscored debates and conflicts in recent years between patients, academics, politicians, and medical practitioners on issues of medical authority, the extent of involvement in the decision making process over personal health as well as the health of others related to them through social structures and institutions (Van Krieken et al. 2006, Blaxter 2000, Bury 2008, White 2002).