Health Informatics
Information systems and technologies are important tools for improving the quality and safety of patient care (Darlymple, 2011). Despite this though, the adoption of information technology in health care has lagged behind that of other sectors (TIGER, n. d.). Health informatics is a relatively new discipline which aims at helping health care practitioners use information technology in the delivery of care. In this paper, the most important informatics knowledge areas for health care administrators will be identified and justified. The paper will also explore how the topics covered under this course have supported my knowledge of health informatics.
Informatics Knowledge Proficiency Areas for Health Care Administrators
Knowledge of the data within health information management systems is a must know for health care administrators. HMIS is part of a larger system that supports a combination of administrative, managerial, financial, and clinical activities in health care contexts (Tan, 2001, p. 8). In particular, administrative and financial HMIS applications support routine administrative and financial tasks in activities such as admission, discharge, patient billing, transfer registration, scheduling, resource management, payroll, quality assurance, human resources, purchasing and inventory control. Therefore, it is essential that all health administrators be well-versed with the basic functions of a HMIS, its three processing phases, and eight elements that is, data input (entails the processes of data acquisition and verification), data management (encompasses the processes of data storage, classification, updating, and computation), and data output (embodies the processes of data retrieval and presentation). For instance, most managerial health care decisions have qualitative and quantitative components. Health care administrators thus need to know how to derive and use data presented using graphics in performing qualitative managerial analysis and statistical reports and summary tables when making quantitative health care decisions.
Predictive modeling is also an essential knowledge topic for health care administrators. It helps them to streamline the use of resources and to improve patient outcomes (Hodgman, 2008). In the face of limited reimbursements, predictive modeling helps in the identification of patient populations likely to have adverse outcomes and to be of high costs to a health care organization. Appropriate care planning for such patients results in the realization of significant cost savings for health care organizations. Predictive modeling also enables health care administrators to weigh the potential costs vis-a-vis benefits of utilizing and implementing certain plans of care and to assess the potential impacts such plans have on the efficiency of financial and operational factors. For instance, an administrator may use predictive modeling, based on objective information derived from data warehouses, to assess the risk and make decisions on whether to use case management, telemedicine, or disease management modalities of patient education and monitoring. Tailoring of interventions to patient needs helps health administrators to apply interventions where they are most needed and conversely, to avoid the costs associated with overuse. The systematic refinement and targeting of care practices based on patient risk also enhances the ability of health care agencies to provide more effective care and to impact positively on patient outcomes. Improved patient outcomes in-turn increase the competitiveness of a hospital and results in increased payments to such institutions. Appreciation of the care needs of different patients at the start of care also helps health administrators to forecast resources more accurately and in effect, to plan and allocate appropriate levels of staffs.
Agile design methodology is the third health informatics topic of paramount importance to health care administrators. Agile methodologies offer solutions to the numerous challenges facing the health care sector (Worley, 2012). For instance, health care organizations need to respond in a timely fashion to developments that support care delivery and clinical and administrative decision making in new environmental contexts whilst maintaining compliance with set regulations. Agile development approaches allow rapid delivery of information, integration of information into and refinement of existing data warehouses as well as the development of new databases and informatics tools. The resulting informatics tools and databases are crucial for quality measurement and quality improvement initiatives. They also provide valuable information for managerial decision making on issues such as policy formulation, resource allocation, patient care, and quality improvement.
Health Informatics Knowledge
The topics covered in the course have also enhanced my information literacy competencies. Information literacy refers to the set of competencies that allow individuals to recognize instances when information is needed, to locate, analyze, and utilize that information appropriately. The topics have equipped me with the knowledge and skills to determine the nature and scope of information needed in a given scenario, to locate and access pertinent information from available resources effectively and efficiently, apprise and evaluate the information and sources critically so as to determine their validity, incorporate and implement the information into practice, and to evaluate outcomes of the application of the information.
My information management knowledge and skills have also improved as a result of undertaking the course. I am now adept at the processes of data collection, data processing, and presentation and communication of analyzed data. I can capture, integrate, and process critical and pertinent information from scattered sources such as patient electronic health records and national databases. For instance, I can use predictive modeling to assess the risk of a specific patient experiencing adverse events.
Conclusion
The most essential health informatics knowledge areas for health care administrators are agile data methodologies, health information management systems, and predictive modeling. Knowledge in these informatics areas is essential for managerial decision making. Relating to the course, it has expanded my knowledge and skills in basic computer functions, information literacy, and information knowledge.
References
Darlymple, P. W. (2011). Data, information, knowledge: The emerging field of health informatics. Bulleting of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 37 (5).
Hodgman, S. B. (2008). Predictive modeling and patient outcomes. Professional Case Management, 13(1), 19-23.
Tan, J. K. H. (2001). Health management information systems: Methods and practical applications. Maryland, MA: Aspen Publishers Inc.
Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) (n. d.). The TIGER initiative: Informatics competencies for every practicing nurse: Recommendations from the TIGER collaborative. Retrieved from
http://www.thetigerinitiative.org/docs/TigerReport_InformaticsCompetencies.pdf
Worley, C. G. (2012). Organizing for agile and sustainable health care: The Alegent health case. In S.A. Mohrman & A. B. Shani (ed.), Organizing for sustainable health care (pp. 41- 75). Boston, MA: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
