Use of Digital Technology in Hospitals

Use of Digital Technology in Hospitals Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Introduction The use of digital technology has become one of the major challenges that the healthcare industry is currently facing. The major challenge for the current practices in healthcare is that many digital tools do not connect interoperability (Brook, 2017). The digital systems and devices fail in connecting to enable the exchange of data and interpretation of the shared data. The government is trying to achieve a high-security level, massive data sensitivity, and adaptation to the rapidly changing technological environment in the healthcare system. However, the healthcare system is facing most of the significant challenges in its effort to implement effective information technological problem. The study provided herein targets to solve most of the challenges experienced in the healthcare system through the adaptation of modern technology. This paper, therefore, provides an operational plan for healthcare management using digital technology as the solution for dealing with the problem of data collection and synchronization for increased efficiency in hospital operations. Problem identification The communication and information system of the healthcare facilities is experiencing a major challenge in the adaptation of modern technologies. The system is experiencing major problems in the use of digital systems in data collection, analysis, interpretation, and storage. Most of the healthcare systems use the older techniques in patient attendants and hospital operations which delays the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery. Transmission and sharing of information within the established systems in the healthcare sector are also challenging the system, requiring immediate action to be taken in solving the problem (Brook, 2017). Development of the technological systems in the healthcare sectors requires a strict balance of the privacy and security requirements which would ensure the improvement of the information technology infrastructure and performance. Adaptation of modern technology in the healthcare sector is becoming mandatory as the system struggle to enhance its service delivery. For instance, the American Medical Association (AMA) reported the increasing need for the physicians to adopt information technology in the existing healthcare system to enhance their services. The new digital tool is likely to influence the healthcare system in different sectors including the mobile health (m-health) app, remote monitoring, telemedicine and telehealth, and wearable like the activity trackers. Such improvements are likely to help the healthcare providers especially the physicians in improving their current practices but not radically changing the whole system. However, Implementation of the technological information changes in the healthcare systems is faced with various challenges as explained herein. Over the year, the healthcare system has been experiencing a growing flood of data. The healthcare data usage is growing at an increasing rate thus becoming difficult to manage through the manual systems. The existing data infrastructures are experiencing strains as a result of the development of digital imaging technologies, electronic medical records, and resource-taxing applications. Other electronic applications such as mobile applications and telemedicine technologies generate a huge amount of data that are not easily managed. This, therefore, creates a need for the establishment of secured storage and management systems for the healthcare data. The privacy requirements by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are as creating a need for digitalization of the healthcare information. HIPAA requires healthcare providers to protect and safeguard private medical information of the patient. The healthcare system, therefore, requires a strong and reliable backup system for the healthcare data which can be easily recovered during disaster and emergency period. The HIPAA systems are therefore strengthened by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) which ensures security for healthcare data. Health data is approximately doubling in every 18 months as the regulations pressure the system to keep the information of the patients indefinitely. This creates the need for implementation of strategic multi-tiered storage plans which consists of on-set, off-set, and virtual storage systems. The healthcare system is investing in more efficient storage software to eliminate the problem of data storage, synthesis, synchronize, and retrieve healthcare data (Cleary, 2009). The system needs to establish enhanced communication interface for sharing of electronic medical records. Information technology advancement in the healthcare system enables easy management of data influx in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Proposed Solution for Information Technology Problem The healthcare system is providing digital technology as a solution for solving the technological information challenge that the healthcare system is currently experiencing. The digital technology in the healthcare system is targeting to provide advancement in service provision which will mainly allow for more orderly computer programs to handle the healthcare data more professionally and effectively. Over the years, the system has failed to develop a satisfying solution for healthcare data safety which puts the patient at risk of exposure of their health records. However, the establishment of the digital technology will satisfy the digital department, helping to solve their challenges especially in bulk and sensitive data management in the healthcare system. This digital technology project aims at supplying more space to group equipment while waiting for processing. The security assurance of the information technological gadgets provided is based on the technology that enhances space management thus generating more space to stock the computer and other extra parts which are non-reusable until the determination of the outlet of the parts (Kollengode, 2019). The viability of the digital technology problem management is achieved through the provision of over 500,000 computers to the health centers and hospitals to enhance technology advancement in data storage, security, sharing, and transmission within the system. This is as a result of the increasing desire by the healthcare providers to embrace and enhance digital services in the healthcare system. The accomplishment of this project is likely to be faced by various challenges which need to be addressed to assure the success of the project. For instance, the projected budget for the project is likely to change due to economic dynamics during the implementation period. The expected expenses are also likely to affect the projected budget for installation and establishment of digital technologies in the healthcare systems. Overgrowing of the budget will require more funding as the project is essential and need to be implemented despite the prevailing financial and economic situation. This, therefore, requires the collaboration of all the project stakeholders to influence the effectiveness of the new technology in the system. The government through the county inspection committee should see the relevance of this project and ensure that it passes to improve the healthcare sector especially in data storage and security section. The digital technology project is the healthcare has received credible sponsors like the Executive Director of the digital technology project operation facility. The collaboration of the project sponsor with the board of directors ensures that the project is properly funded. The project management team is therefore expected to provide the projected budget and timeframe it is likely to take for proper planning. The outlined duties for the project manager are to manage the execution of the project during the project execution timeframe. Collaborating with all the stakeholders and using the appropriate approaches would ensure the success of the project through proper financial and time management Project Implementation Process Effective project planning ensures the success of a project during the implementation process thus avoiding wastage of time and financial resources. The performance of the project on digital technology in the information system in the healthcare sector would be measured by a performance metric as applied in strategic management. The implementation process will involve picking out and enhancing various internal functions at the Upstate Medical Hospital in the determination of the resulting outcomes. The first implementation stage is based on data collection and interpretation of the information gathered by the project administrators for appropriate decision-making that impacts the digitalization of the healthcare sector. The achievement of the projected goal of ensuring digitalization in the healthcare information system will be through ensuring all the healthcare centers receives the required equipment for facilitating the project. The progress of the project is measured by assessing the rate of service delivery in healthcare systems after implementation of modern technology. Proper maintenance of the technological communication systems will ensure the sustainability of the projects. System providers should ensure the provision of the maintenance team for the systems such that delay may not be experienced or the cases of malfunctioning. Financial perspectives are designed to help the Upstate Medical Hospital to measure, analyze, and compare the financial performance of the project. Analysis of the financial performance increase in the project’s fund and decrease in the cost of managing and running the project. Customer perspective helps in identification of clients’ satisfaction in service delivery specifically the services that involve the use of information technology. Business process perspective involves identification of the essential internal processes that influences the hospital performance during implementation of the project. Finally, the purpose of any project implementation is to learn and grow. Implementation of the information technology in the healthcare systems provides the employees with an opportunity to grow their skills and experiences in the digital field of data storage and communication. Conclusion Over the years, the healthcare system has been experiencing a major challenge in the collection, analysis, synthesis, storage, transmission, and sharing of patients’ information more safely and securely. In the effort to solve this problem and ensure the security of the patient's information and health record, the healthcare system is determined in enhancing information technology in healthcare systems. The technology aims at increasing storage capacity and enhancing data security during the entire healthcare processes of the patient. The proposed solution basing on digitalization of the information system in the healthcare system requires a strategic implementation approach which...