Importance of Health Informatics
Technology has changed how every industry conducts its activities and operations. Information system in hospitals has helped towards better delivery of health care. Research shows that hospitals that have adopted the use of information system perform better. It helps in preventing medical errors ensuring patient safety. The patient records are safe with adoption of information system and it allows easy access by various physicians who come out with a better solution after careful analysis.
Before adopting the information, system to the hospital the health care committee needs to consider a number of factors and characteristics of the information system for adoption. This will allow the hospital go for best information system that is stable and will meet the requirements of the hospital. The information system should have the ability of the storing the patient records, process and retrieve medical data (Healthcare-informatics.com, 2014). Health care informatics deals with how healthcare relates with information technology and computer science. I will help the committee in adopting the best information system.
Databases refer to the arrangement of data that is persistent in a table. It is arrange this way to fit a specific purpose. A field is a single piece of information (Hanson, 2006). There are various components of a database that allow it perform specific tasks. A good database must have a schema. This describes the type of information and the relationship that exist between the parts of information. The schema has the capability of arrangement to perform a specific task.
Database design structure for a hospital facility requires analysis of the needs of the hospital, drafting and implementing a system. A database management system consists of software that will allow control of use and its maintenance (Nlm.nih.gov, 2014). Examples of databases include access 97 and oracle. Databases will allow the medics to enter data into the system by using tables. The database can also have a querying form that asks you to enter data.
Various types of medical data and information exist which medical hospital can store in the database. Medical records are important in assisting for planning. It allows communication between the patients and medical professionals. This will assist medical professionals in improving their delivery of care to patients. This type of information in databases is important for researchers, institutions and policy makers who allocate resources appropriately.
The patient’s records must identify the individual and give a history of past cases if any. The information contained in databases include name, blood type, name of residence, allergic reactions, family disease history, chronic disease, prescriptions, results of tests now and previous.
The use of information technology in hospitals has increased worldwide and it is important to have uniform terminology, standardization and coding of data. Standardization and uniformity help in increasing efficiency. It allows the medical professionals to work using recognized standards. The interpretation of binding regulations that pertain medical practitioners becomes easy. It helps in eliminating errors and misguided interpretations. Sharing of data and information becomes easy.
In America, the body that deals with the development of health care standards is the ANSI Healthcare Informatics Standards Board. Various organizations and information standards may be applicable in the information system. The main body that deals with standardization is the ISO (International Standards Organization). It functions to approve the standards that guide development and sale of all information systems. Examples of standards applicable include the visual integration, personal health record that allows for standardization of descriptions from different countries.
References
Hanson, C. W. (2006). Healthcare informatics. New York: McGraw-Hill, Medical Pub. Division.
Healthcare-informatics.com. (2014). Which hospitals and health systems have been the most effective with clinical decision support systems? @BADR_N111 3/19/2014. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/ask-the-editor/which-hospitals- and-health-systems-have-been-most-effective-clinical-decision-support [Accessed: 23 Mar 2014].
Nlm.nih.gov. (2014). HSRIC: Health Informatics. [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hsrinfo/informatics.html [Accessed: 23 Mar 2014].
