HE490 Healthcare Capstone: Research Studies Management Essay

Health Information Management
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Health Information Management
Health information management refers to the collection, storage, analysis, protection, and interpretation of patient data. Every time an individual visits a hospital, his or her medical diagnosis, treatment, and tests are kept by the health institution for future reference. Traditionally, hospitals used to keep paper-based files for patients to help them obtain the medical history or profiles for people so that they can provide the best treatment. Currently, health information is either electronically stored, paper-based, or a combination of the two. The most significant thing is to keep proper records of patients’ data to help doctors understand their patients and offer high-quality medical services based on individuals' past medical profiles. Health information management is critical when it comes to the provision of better healthcare services since it ensures that physicians are well-informed about the coexisting patient’s health condition before dealing with any upcoming medical problem. Some people suffer from more than one medical issue and it is crucial to focus on how the treatment of a specific health condition affects others. For example, if a patient has diabetes and gets other health complications, there are medicines that physicians cannot prescribe since they might worsen their existing medical problem. Health information management enables doctors to give high-quality healthcare services since they can access patients’ medical profiles, which help them to make the right decision after analyzing the existing health condition of individuals.
Fenton et al. (2017) assert that health information management involves the science of recording, classification, interpretation, and the usage of patient data. A few decades ago, the usage of patient data was limited due to challenges posed by paper-based medical records, which served as the only source of information for billing or administrative needs. However, currently, the rapid change in information technology has changed the way in which hospitals manage and record patient data. For instance, in 2013, the amount of medical data collected was about 153 exabytes, which has grown exponentially to approximately 2,314 exabytes in 2020 (Fenton et al., 2017). In that light, it means that many hospitals continue to adopt the electronic method of keeping their patients' data since they understand that it is the only way to offer the best treatment services. However, the lack of effective data governance makes key functionalities, such as predictive analysis and interoperability difficult to achieve. That is the reason why Abdekhoda et al. (2014) emphasize the importance of users’ acceptance of the information technologies for the successful application of the health information management systems. Hospitals and other health institutions that want to gather and store accurate patients’ data must involve physicians during the development and installation of the data storage systems (Abdekhoda, Ahmadi, Dehnad, & Hosseini, 2014). Doctors and nurses are the ones who can ensure that the data stored in the system is accurate to facilitate the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment. Besides, the effectiveness of the data storage system in the healthcare sector is determined by the input, maintenance, and management of the stored data.
The adoption of information and communication technologies in the medical sector has transformed the practice and roles of health professionals in the United States of America (USA). Hospitals are considering physicians who understand the importance of patient data storage since they understand that it is the only way to ensure high-quality healthcare services. In the last decade, the USA has experienced a significant increase of about 40% in the implementation of e-health systems by hospitals (Gibson, Dixon, & Abrams, 2015). The growth in the adoption of electronic health record systems has fueled the introduction and changing scope of new policies, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA, 1996). Before the implementation of electronic health records (EHR), many hospitals wasted a lot of time trying to search for patients' paper-based medical files. Health institutions had to hire many people so that they would locate patients’ files when doctors required them. Nevertheless, since papers wear and tear with time, some relevant information might be lost in the process and confusion occurred due to improper filing. Data integrity was hard to maintain due to various challenges. Traditionally, the management of health information was a hectic process. In some cases, doctors had to use the limited available data and repeat medical tests for patients if they doubted the information available. Information technology has changed things for the better in the healthcare sector since it is possible to store, interpret, analyze, and retrieve patients’ data within a short period (Tao et al., 2020). Consequently, e-health systems can store massive data without worrying that some of it might get lost if it stays for an extended period.
Although information and technologies have provided new and exciting methods of recording patients’ data, they have led to increased privacy concerns. Liezel Cilliers portrays that mobile health technologies have made it possible for doctors to monitor their patients even when they are miles away (Cilliers, 2019). In particular, wearable devices are usually designed to gather individuals’ health data, which can be analyzed to give information about a person’s health status. However, the privacy and security of the information collected by wearable devices and stored in e-health systems cannot be guaranteed. Some people fear using wearable gadgets since they do not understand how their health data will be kept safe, particularly since it is transmitted and stored online. Moreover, the EHR systems implemented in hospitals are vulnerable to hackers since not many health institutions have employed security experts to update, monitor, and ensure that the data cannot be accessed by unauthorized personnel. Some patients who understand the privacy and security problems that can be realized if their medical data gets into the wrong hands hesitate to disclose relevant information to their doctors. Zhang et al. (2018) make it clear that privacy concerns are adversely influenced by patients’ response efficacy, perceived severity, and data vulnerability (Zhang et al., 2018). In other words, a patient who knows that e-health systems are vulnerable to hackers finds it hard to reveal all his or her medical information since it is hard to follow-up his or her data when it is stored on virtual databases. As a result, patients’ privacy concerns can hinder the accuracy of the information stored in e-health systems.
The use of a qualitative research method was vital in finding credible and reliable articles, books, magazines, and journals to use in this research. “Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information Management” by Dana McWay shows that the management of patients' data has become difficult due to the implementation of EHRs. Specifically, a data management system is an interplay of complex processes (McWay, 2020). For example, health institutions must understand that the most significant thing is not how to gather patients’ information, but it is about how to keep it secure for future reference when the need arises. Government regulations also emphasize the importance of keeping patients’ data safe since every person has the constitutional right to privacy. As such, hospitals should not hurry to implement e-health systems if they do not have a strategy of how to keep such information secure. The justice systems impose heavy fines and penalties to health institutions that fail to protect patients’ data. The law ensures that hospitals do not misuse the information they gather from people. Additionally, the HIPAA suggests some of the methods that health institutions should adopt to ensure that unauthorized individuals do not get loopholes in e-health systems. Health information management requires high discipline since the breach of patients’ data can worsen the medical condition of the people affected or lead to death (McWay, 2020). McWay makes it clear that there is no need for a hospital to collect the data it cannot safeguard. The priority should be how to safeguard the gathered patients’ data so that it can be used in the future when doctors need it during diagnosis or treatment.
Professionals in health information management or medical record technicians hold significant responsibilities in ensuring the storage of accurate patients’ data. These individuals offer services in different aspects of data collection, quality management, coding, integrity, disclosure, privacy, and disposition (“Health Information Management Professionals Role in Patient Safety,” 2020). They analyze health records to ensure that nothing is omitted from the reports provided by doctors, nurses, or laboratory technicians. Health information managers facilitate the confidentiality of the patient data and act as advocates of patients’ right to privacy. These professionals offer guidance on e-health implementation, documentation, information sharing, policy issues, and EHR infrastructure. They make sure that patients’ data is coded by adhering to established coding regulations to avoid misinterpretation. In particular, the primary role of a health information management expert is to protect patients’ information. Professionals in the management of health data consult various parties to ensure that the system in place is not vulnerable to hackers. When recording patients’ data, these individuals use codes to avoid disclosing people’s actual information. Since patients are assigned special codes, their names and other sensitive information are spared. That way, even if the system is breached, it becomes difficult for cybercriminals to match medical profiles with specific people, which renders the hacked data useless. However, if the patient information is leaked on the Internet, it might humiliate owners of the data displayed since they can locate their medical profiles based on their codes.
Furthermore, it is the duty of health information management experts to improve the quality of healthcare services by eradicating health disparities, medical errors, and by facilitating the delivery of patient-centered services. Notably, the primary reason why hospitals have shifted to the implementation of electronic healthcare systems is to foster high-quality medical services. Professionals in health information management are the ones who ensure that accurate patient data is stored in e-health systems so that doctors can retrieve credible information when needed in the future. These people reduce medical costs that might arise from medical errors, incomplete data, inefficiency, duplicative, or inappropriate care (Musa, Aina, & Opeyemi, 2020). For example, when health information managers receive laboratory reports they go through them to make sure that they comply with the set standards. If they doubt specific information provided on the reports, they do not ignore it, but instead, these specialists consult the laboratory technician involved to get a clear picture or valid explanation. Health information management specialists offer appropriate information that facilitates proper medical...