in Healthcare Systems
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Implementation of Information Technology in Healthcare Systems
Problem Description
Today, the flow of information and integration of technology is a major concern to many firms and organizations, especially when it comes to healthcare system . A lot of countries, globally, are trying to deliver healthcare services in a more efficient, safe, and affordable way. However, in emerging markets, the lack of Information Technology (IT) infrastructures serves as hindrance to the growth and development of the healthcare industry. The use of IT has been associated with a higher level of efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity of operations, leading to lower costs of operations . If there is going to be one group of countries that would benefit the most from the use of IT in healthcare systems, it would be the emerging countries because they are the ones that are stripped off of financial and other resources.
Research Question
“What are the effects of the implementation of information technology in the healthcare system?”
The statement above refers to the actual question that the proposed study will focus on. It involves two key variables: dependent and independent. The dependent variable will be the effects (i.e. outcomes) within the healthcare system. Because this study was meant to be an exploratory study, the goal is to discover what those effects (on outcomes) are, through interviews and focus group discussions with the selected participants. In the end, what will be determined will be the positivity or negativity of the effects of information technology in the healthcare system. The independent variable on the other hand will be the use and implementation of information technology. In this type of relationship, it is being implied that the outcomes within the healthcare system can be dependent on the implementation of information technology. How dependent and what effects the independent variable may have on the dependent variable is what the proposed study is going to cover.
Justification of the problem
Why is it suitable for the particular case study in terms of topical alignment?
The implementation of information systems and technology in healthcare is a relevant topic due to the fact that they are meant to enable medical and healthcare institutions deliver an increasing level of quality of healthcare and medical services to patients. In an ideal world, all medical and healthcare institutions (including those in developing countries) would already have access to IT infrastructures in order to more efficiently provide what the patients need. However, the reality is that this is still far from being the case. A lot of these institutions still do not have access to the much needed IT infrastructures. This presents as a problem that the proposed study can solve and answer.
What are the learning elements of the student from this project and why it is suitable?
One of the barriers to information technology implementation is its expensive cost. New areas such as e-health and m-health are some of the new niches where information technology-based healthcare management can be utilized . The learning elements of the student from this project should focus on knowledge on information technology applications in the healthcare system. Knowledge on Information Technology application in healthcare systems would help in equipping the students with the skills needed for them to have a better understanding of how a typical healthcare organization works and how IT can be used to improve its functions.
Why is it suitable in terms of complexity and size to merit being a graduate capstone project?
With the global population growing, the demand for a more effective and efficient approach to healthcare is certainly going to increase. The use of IT in healthcare systems can be a potentially satisfying answer to that increasing demand. And as I mentioned above It can be said that there is a research gap because circumstantial differences in the application and implementation of information technology in healthcare systems can produce varying results.
Preliminary Literature Review
Numerous studies about the use of IT in improving the functions of healthcare organizations and systems have already been published. The consensus is that the use of IT can be a great boost to the efficiency of typical pen and paper-based healthcare organizations. In a randomized crossover trial published in 2013, for example, it has been proposed that the use of IT-based systems in a clinical setting can potentially lead to a higher level of workload efficiency . Other studies about the use of IT in healthcare systems suggest that from a theoretical perspective, the net effects on the quality of healthcare and medical services and the efficiency of the operations of the organization in question is more positive than negative . This means that there is a logical merit to researching deeper on whether the implementation of IT in healthcare systems can indeed lead to these theoretically positive results as what authors of other previously published studies have presented.
Research Method
A qualitative exploratory type of study will be used in the proposed research study. A qualitative research is done in an effort to gain a better understanding of a certain issue or phenomenon. It can also be used to obtain valuable insights about an existing research problem that would help the researchers develop more comprehensive research and problem solving-related ideas. Although the idea of implementing IT in healthcare systems is not new, its actual use and application in the clinical setting is unprecedented. This is why it is important to develop an understanding of IT implementation in healthcare systems first.
Discuss the details of your research approach
After conducting a preliminary literature review, it has been discovered that the use of information technology as an adjunct to the still existing, albeit traditional, healthcare systems can lead to more positive patient and organizational outcomes . One common characteristic among the studies that were reviewed for this paper is that they were all aimed at examining the effects of information technology in healthcare systems.
For this proposed research, the goal is to be able to gather data from a small number of subjects, all of whom should be representative of the population that can credibly evaluate whether the implementation of IT in healthcare systems can indeed lead to more positive than negative results or otherwise.
Provide details about any data collection
The first part of the data collection process would be the submission of a research proposal. After which, the goal would be to coordinate with the authorities (e.g. hospital management which the proposed study will focus on). A total of three participants will be subjected to a semi-structured interview session. The goal of the interview sessions would be to directly gather the participants’ insights about the implementation of IT in healthcare systems, focusing on answering the question whether its use indeed leads to positive outcomes. Considering that this is a proposal for a qualitative study, a small population of three respondents will be the focus. The respondents have to be in their profession as a medical or healthcare practitioner for at least 3 years to quality as a participant.
Preliminary Schedule
References
Avansino, J., & Leu, M. (2013). Effects of CPOE on Provider Cognitive Workload: A Randomized Crossover Trial. Medical Informatics Association, Print. 233-237. Jan 2017.
Carayon et al. (2011). Incorporating Health Information Technology Into Workflow Redesign. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 18, Print. 820-826. Jan 2017.
Haag, S., Cummings, M., & Dawkins, J. (1998). Management Information Systems. Multimedia Systems 279, Print. 280-297. Jan 2017.
Harle, C., Huerta, T., Ford, E., Diana, M., & Menachemi, N. (2013). Overcoming challenges to achieving meaningful use: Insights from hospitals that successfully received Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services payments in 2011. J Am Med Inform Assoc, Print. 233.237. Jan 2017.
McKinsey & Company. (2010). mHealth A New Version of Healthcare. GSMA, Print. 3-6. Jan 2017.
O'Brien, J. (2006). Management Information Systems. Print. n.p. Jan 2017.
Olson, J., Belohlav, J., & Cook, L. (2012). A Rasch Model Analysis of Technology Usage in Minnesota Hospitals. Int J Med Inform, Print. 527-538. Jan 2017.
