Advanced Information Management and the Application of Technology
Advanced Information Management and the Application of Technology
Q2: The Technology Necessary to Meet the Federally Mandated Requirements That Affect the Merged Healthcare Organizations in the Given Scenario
Each merger within the healthcare industry is different. There is no universal standard governing the same in regards to consolidation of hospitals, practices other forms of healthcare facilities-particularly where federally approved technology is involved (Meier, 2011). In this regard, there are a number of technologies recognized by the federal administration that will affect the merged healthcare organizations mentioned in the scenario above. To begin with, the regulatory framework governing healthcare provision is multifaceted as well as far reaching.
In this respect, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) stipulates the requirements for implementing Centers for Medicare and Medical services (CMS) and Electronic Health Records (EHR) through the MU (meaningful use) rule. This will affect the merged organizations in that it requires different care providers to consistently demonstrate their ability to make “meaningful use” federally approved HER technology (Agarwal, Gao, & DesRoches, 2012). This requirement was developed to help such organizations augment their IT knowledge, skills and equipment aptitudes through mergers and/or acquisitions. A key facet of the application of these federally approved technologies is provided for by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 implemented in 2014 (Conleya & Dupor, 2014). This act requires the merged healthcare organizations to leverage on the certified technology with a view of meeting the requirements of federal directive concerning meaningful use of technology Medicaid as well as Medicare reimbursement scales.
Secondly, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) together with The Affordable Care Act (ACA) present significantly novice regulatory burdens in regards to certified technology and vas such are informing the continued need for consolidation/mergers among hospitals. While the ACA is increasing the number of patients in the healthcare system, the HIPAA on the other hand increases cost associated with patient care (Agarwal, Gao, & DesRoches, 2012). A significant component of this that will undoubtedly have far reaching ramifications for the merged organizations mentioned in the scenario involves the provision of electronic copies of medical records to patients using approved Electronic Document Management Solutions technology.
Finally, the other technology is the new billing as well as scheduling computer systems as approved by the federal government since the re-enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in 2014 in all hospitals. This technology is meant to improve billing, scheduling as well as other accounting activities and as such will affect the merged organizations significantly. In order for the consolidated organization to meet the provisions outlined by the “meaningful use” rule, it must adopt the new system in order to ensure that it retains its existing Medicaid as well as Medicare reimbursement scales (Conleya & Dupor, 2014).
Q2. The Project Committee
- Essential Interdisciplinary Team Members
The essential interdisciplinary team required to play different roles in the migration to a common information system will include the following.
| Member | Position |
| Health Informatics Director | Executive leader of the committee |
| Health Informatics Consultant | Consultant |
| Business informatics Specialist | consultant |
| IT Project Manager | Project Manager |
- The Role Each Team Member
| Member | Role |
| Health Informatics Director | In charge of leading integration as well as data organization flow across all divisions and departments of the merged organizations |
| Health Informatics Consultant | To offer consultancy services on the best approach of migrating to the common health information system based on his/her professional experience in the field of health informatics. |
| Business informatics Specialist | To help the merged organizations to design an information system that realizes maximum utility as well as value within the consolidated organization and therefore meet the requirements of the MU rule from an organizational management perspective. |
| IT Project Manager | Coordination and communication with committee members to make sure goals, deadlines, along with objectives are met in a timely manner. |
- Justification For The Expertise Of Each Team Member
| Member | Expertise Justification |
| Health Informatics director | His expertise is required due to the numerous responsibilities he shares with Chief Information Officers within the broader context presented by health informatics |
| Health Informatics Consultant | This is an individual with vast experience in IT specialties in Health IT and analysis consulting for an organization or independently in regards to EHR/EMR adoption, research and data analytics; computer and information systems; as well as the design, development and execution of proprietary certified technology and software. This level of expertise makes him relevant to the task. |
| Business informatics Specialist | Coming from a related field outside the healthcare system his/her expertise is necessary in that he/she is experienced in designing information systems capable of achieving maximum utility as well as value within the consolidated organization and therefore meets the requirements of the MU rule from an organizational management perspective. |
| IT Project Manager | This is an individual with extensive knowledge of implementing IT projects by focusing and overseeing each phase of the Project Man agent Lifecycle in regards to Information Systems projects in the merged organizations |
Q3. Why Interoperability is Important To Healthcare Delivery
Interoperability is important to healthcare delivery in that it facilitates improved workflow in addition to reduced ambiguities and permits efficient data transfers between stakeholders in healthcare and EHR systems (Agarwal, Gao, & DesRoches, 2012). Eventually, an environment predicated on interoperability improves healthcare delivery by availing the right data to the right individuals in a timely fashion.
- Importance Of Standardized Nursing Terminology
Standardized nursing terminology is important to use when capturing nursing-specific data due to the direct advantages offered to bedside/care nurses (Keenan, Yakel, Lopez, Tschannen, & Ford, 2013). The benefits thus include improved communication among nursing professionals as well as other care providers; it increases visibility in nursing interventions; improves patient care; enhances data collection in regards to the evaluation of care outcomes; introduces greater adherence to care standards; and facilitates nursing competence assessment.
Q5. Two recent federal regulatory requirements
The Health information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) stipulates the requirements for implementing Centers for Medicare and Medical services (CMS) and Electronic Health Records (EHR) through the MU (meaningful use) rule. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) together with The Affordable Care Act (ACA) present significantly novice regulatory rules in regards to certified technology within consolidated hospitals.
- Two Components
The two components in the scenario that meet federal regulatory requirements are the use of remote technology to offer care to underserved populations and the creation of a project committee to lead the migration of to a shared information system both of which are provided for in relevant federal regulations.
Q6. Potential Security Risks
Firstly, ‘vampire data’ is a significant threat to HIS. With numerous organizations switching to HER as well as other related IT systems, data regularly exists in manifold digital and physical copies and as such, it is easy for providers to lose track of the existing data. Secondly, cyber warfare will continue to threaten HIS going forward in that hackers are continuously engaged in theft of confidential data to make money. Thirdly, given the rising cases of cyber attacks, incomplete logs pose as a result of lack of proper tools to counter breaches pose a threat as many organizations do not have the capacity to adequately log network data. Finally, non-compliance with disclosure regulations poses a threat in that organizations lack the necessary capacity to notify relevant entities in cases of data breaches in a timely manner as stipulated by regulations governing HIS technology (Agarwal, Gao, & DesRoches, 2012).
- Essential Security Features
These include technical safeguard features like as well as secure transmition features for communication like Secure Socket Layer (SSL), and Virtual Private Networks (VPN).
- Industry Standards for Protecting Data Integrity
Industry standards for protecting data integrity are documented by the HIPAAA standards concerned with protecting Electronic Protected Health Information. These standards also known as the Security Rules apply to PHI existing in electronic format and together with privacy rules require concerned organizations to sign contracts or any other form of arrangements with business or Informatics associates will appropriately protect the integrity and mitigate risks that safeguard health information systems (Meier, 2011).
Q7. implications of current and emerging technologies
- Nonclinical Applications Of Emerging Technology
Telemedicine is a non-clinical remote delivery system for providing healthcare services to underserved patients in remote facilities. It incorporates two emerging technologies-Remote Patient monitoring systems and mHealth applications-that help providers to locate information as well as highlight funding gaps and opportunities in addition to initiatives for implementing telehealth as an emerging technology in the provision of care in remote facilities.
- clinical applications of emerging technology
The Intensive Care Unit Telemonitoring (e-ICUS) has the ability to extend the reach of care providers to remote facilities and allowing remote providers to work collaboratively with tele-hub experts to help in the monitoring as well as treating of various conditions (Keenan, Yakel, Lopez, Tschannen, & Ford, 2013). Given the increasing prevalence of cancer especially in remote areas, Teleradiology helps radiologists and other healthcare providers to visit rural facilities virtually through the use of telemedicine and conduct different radiology procedures on patients.
References
Agarwal, R., Gao, G., & DesRoches, C. (2012). The Digital Transformation of Healthcare: Current Status and the Road Ahead. Information Systems Research, 21 (4), 796 – 809.
Conleya, T. G., & Dupor, B. (2014). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Solely a government jobs program? Journal of Monetary Economics, 60 (5), 535–549.
Keenan, G., Yakel, E., Lopez, K. D., Tschannen, D., & Ford, Y. B. (2013). Challenges to nurses’ efforts of retrieving, documenting, and communicating patient care information. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 245-251.
Meier, D. E. (2011). Increased Access to Palliative Care and Hospice Services: Opportunities to Improve Value in Health Care. The Milbank Quarterly, 89 (3), 343–380.
