Critical Factors in Implementing an IT System in Health Facilities
Assignment 1: Critical Factors in Implementing an IT System in Health Facilities Due Week 4 and worth 300 points Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you: Provide at least three (3) various reasons why some health care organizations have been reluctant to implement electronic medical records. Discuss the essential manner in which the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) impacts patient’s medical records. Determine the main advantages and disadvantages of the adoption of The HITECH (the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act for health care professionals. Next, suggest one (1) strategy that the medical staff members could use in order to mitigate the main disadvantages in question. Review the typical workflow processes within health organizations, and decide the single most significant process that the health organization must eliminate in order to improve the service. Provide a rationale to support your response. Analyze the primary ways in which the key federal initiatives impact the standards of health care information for patient privacy, safety, and confidentially. Specify the fundamental advantages of applying an IT system within health care organizations. Predict new IT developments in the health care industry for the next two (2) decades. Justify your response. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar type Websites do not qualify as academic resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting guidelines: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Examine the impact technologies have on health care information systems. Examine the systems development life cycle of a custom application and the selection of proprietary systems. Use technology and information resources to research issues in health information systems. Write clearly and concisely about health information systems using proper writing mechanics.
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Abstract
Over the last ten years, medical technology has been advancing and has shifted from robotic and laparoscopic surgery to drug-coated stents. However, on an overall perspective and in comparison with other industries, the health care industry is still lagging behind in regard to investment and utilization of Information Technology (IT). For example, the financial services industry has invested approximately 10% or more of the revenues earned on IT while the health care industry has only invested approximately 4% or less on IT (NYS, 2004). This paper looks at reasons why health care organizations are reluctant to implement Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and provides a discussion of how patients’ medical records are impacted by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). Moreover, the paper provides a determination of the advantages and disadvantages of adopting Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act for health professionals. The paper also provides a strategy for dealing with the above disadvantages including providing a review of the workflow processes in health organizations and determines a process that can be eliminated to improve care. Finally, the paper analyzes of how federal initiatives impact standards of health care information, the advantages of IT in health care organizations, and prediction of future developments in IT in the health care system.
Introduction
Information Technology (IT) possesses the potential for improving the quality and safety levels and the efficiency of care provision in the health care system. The prevalence of IT in the health care system is low, however, surveys conducted reveal that health care providers intend to increase the amount of investment in IT in their practice and the industry in general (MedPac, 2004). There are several drivers as well as barriers of such investment and given the potential IT holds, both the private and public sectors are engaging in efforts to promote IT use within care settings. Additional efforts include the provision of financial incentives and efforts geared towards the standardization of record formats, nomenclature, and protocols of communication that promote compatibility in operations (MedPac, 2004).
Health Information Technology (Definition)
Health Information Technology (HIT) comprises of a large number of technological products and services that include hardware, software, and infrastructure that are designed to collect, store, and exchange patient information throughout medical clinical practice (American Medical Association, 1995-2014). In a broad sense, HIT is an overarching term that is applicable to the different types of information and communication technologies for collecting, transmitting, displaying, or storing patient data (Sittig & Singh, 2011). While health care providers use IT for these purposes, specifically discussing IT in health care poses a challenge due to the varied applicability and rapid pace by which technology changes. Electronic health record (EHR), computerized provider order entry (CPOE), Clinical decision support system (CDSS), and Picture archiving and communications system (PACS). Electronic materials management (EMM), Bar coding, Automated dispensing machines (ADMs), Radio frequency identification (RFID), and Interoperability are the common terms in HIT (MedPac, 2004).
Reluctance to Implement Electronic Medical Records
There is an increased use of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in the health care, and this is significantly impacting the health care system. There are claims the transition to utilization of EMR is mandatory to promote care provision efficiency (Roberts, 2013). However, despite the presence of information on EMR adoption, there still exists polar opposite perspectives regarding the methods of implementing EMRs in a secure and successful manner. Therefore, some organizations are reluctant to adopt EMRs (Roberts, 2013).
The reasons underlying the reluctance include first the determination of the type and extent of IT support that will be required to implement the EMR successfully. Implementation of an EMR requires a broad range of resources and these resources vary depending on the organization. Therefore, the inability to determine such requirements promotes laxity in implementation (Zandieh, Yoon-Flannery, Kuperman, Langsam, Hyman, & Kaushal, 2008). In addition, IT factors at the individual level where there were perceived challenges in developing typing skills, improving comfortability with IT, and the reduction of resistance in workflow patterns especially for leaders promotes this reluctance (Zandieh, Yoon-Flannery, Kuperman, Langsam, Hyman, & Kaushal, 2008). Finally, these organizations are concerned with workflow and efficiency as modifications will be required to improve the efficiency of operations and workflow. These improvements would decrease the productivity of the practitioners during the implementation stages and interrupt daily operations (Zandieh, Yoon-Flannery, Kuperman, Langsam, Hyman, & Kaushal, 2008).
HIPAA Impact on Patients Medical Records
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996. This Act establishes standards for the administration, security, and privacy of medical data. HIPPA rules who primary purpose is the protection of health care coverage for individuals that lose or change their jobs (Bowers, 2001). The Act contains Title II (Administrative Simplification Act) that requires care providers in the industry to increase efficiency through the utilization of electronic media to transmit patient administrative data. The government developed privacy and security rules to make the public feel secure and complement the rules of transaction (Bowers, 2001).
Therefore, the Act in a number of ways impacted medical records. For example, the Act has reduced the number and or volume of paperwork involved in medical record keeping in the healthcare system. In addition, it has standardized medical data with the greatest impact being in coordinating insurance benefits and payments. Moreover, HIPPA has managed to eliminate the specific reporting and filing requirements for hospital and care providers within the health plan and, finally, increased security and confidentiality of the health information and data of patients (Bowers, 2001).
Advantages and Disadvantages of Adopting the HITECH Act
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) was enacted and signed into law in 2009. This Act was part of the stimulus package that represented United State’s greatest initiative aimed at encouraging the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) on a large scale (Menachemi & Collum, 2011). This act builds on HIPAA initiatives on security and provides incentives for the healthcare system to adopt a culture of information security and is the first national breach notification legislation (Roberts, 2013).
Most of the literature that exists regarding EHR is usually based on the key functionalities of EHR, clinical decision support systems, order entry systems that are computerized, and the exchange of health information. However, very little is mentioned regarding...