: N 502 Health Care Systems Module 1 Assignment  

: N 502 Health Care Systems Module 1 Assignment  

Health information systems have shaped significantly the manner in which healthcare is offered in the modern world. Its use has resulted in benefits that include enhanced efficiency in healthcare delivery and improvement in the quality of care offered to those in need. The use of health information systems have also led to a reduction in medical errors, a fact that has enhanced the safety of care given to those in need. Consequently, most institutions of healthcare have embraced the need for the use of these systems to achieve their performance objectives. Therefore, this research paper explores structure of health information system in my organization, its components, and advantages and disadvantages of using information systems.

The organization I work with utilizes health information systems to deliver its services to the diverse populations it serves. It recognizes the fact that health information systems reduce the overall costs of healthcare while increase the quality associated with the output. The organization system used in the organization I work with is simplified for easy use. The information system is divided into two where one is health information system for patient care while the other one is managerial information system. The patient information system is further divided into sub-systems that include patient management systems, clinical information system, and systems for clinical support services. The data from these systems are fed into the patient information database where it is delivered as the output in the electronic medical record. The managerial system on the other hand has its own database for managerial information. The following is its diagrammatic representation.

The health information system comprises of several standard components. One of them is the inputs. The inputs refer to the data that is fed into the system for analysis, storage, and integration into the existing organizational processes. The inputs also refer to organizational processes such as policies, equipment, infrastructure, costs, financial and human resources that are used to produce the output. The other component of health information system is indicators. The indicators are the benchmarks in which the performance of the system is measured. They provide information on the efficiency and effectiveness of the systems in delivering the set outcomes. The other component is data sources. The data sources for the health information systems is varied and includes patient data, resources used, managerial decisions, and financial reports that must be utilized in the determination of health organization’s performance (Shalowitz, 2019). The other component is data management. Data management entails the aspects of data collection, storage, handling, analysis, compilation, and flow within the system. The last component is the outputs. The outputs either can be information products or disseminated information for clinical use (Mastrian & McGonigle, 2019). The evidence of outputs includes the effectiveness and efficiency in which organizational tasks are undertaken.

The use of health information systems has significant benefits to health organizations. Health information systems allow organizations to control their operational costs. It minimizes duplication of tasks as well as automates most of the organizational tasks, hence, cost-effectiveness of its use. There is also an improvement in the safety and quality of patient care. The improvement arises from the efficiency in which decisions are made and minimization medical errors. There is also improvement in patient and provider satisfaction with care. Despite these benefits, there are challenges with the use of health information systems. One of them is the high costs of setting it up, using, and maintaining it. Organizations also face the risk of data leaks that might expose the vital data to external stakeholders. Issues of resistance to use also affect the use of health information systems in organizations (BUCHBINDER, 2019). Therefore, it is important health organizations minimize these challenges, as a way of optimizing its benefits.

References

BUCHBINDER, S. (2019). Introduction to health care management. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Mastrian, K. G., & McGonigle, D. (2019). Informatics for health professionals. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Shalowitz, J. (2019). The U.S. healthcare system: Origins, organization and opportunities. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.