Reflection 1 Mod 7 HCIN-542 PMP-Post Implementation Evaluation
Objective: Articulate methods for design of quality programs or performance improvement programs as applied to performance of electronic health records systems.
In 2013, The office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released a guiding document called Capturing High Quality Electronic Health Records Data to support Performance Improvements. This document comprised of lessons learned by the 17 Beacon Community Awardees of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program demonstrates how health information technology (health IT) investments and Meaningful Use of electronic health records (EHR) advance the vision of patient-centered care, while supporting better health, better care at lower cost. This document was used as a guide to evaluating a small family practice, Waverly Family Health Services. Part of the scope of the evaluation to design and implement a web based Electronic Health System (EHR) for a small healthcare facility. The implementation will include Web Installation of the EHR system, System Conversion, and Migration from Paper to Electronic records format.
Beginning with case studies, a methodical examination of existing staffing, IT infrastructure, and other relevant information was conducted. Documentation of patient protected health information and improved sale revenue are very vital aspects this program evaluation. Success can be measured along the lines of the liquid cash generated by sales. The overall goal is to change the design of organization’s processes, and policies to enhance the results of the interplay of operation and sales so as to engage in a continuous improvement process that promotes learning at all levels. With the installation of electronic health records and the redesign of the internal process for Waverly Health Family Health, there will be an integration of the new dynamics such that people, processes, facilities, equipment, and organizations all work together to achieve better care at lower cost
Reflections 2 Mod 7_HCIN 544 Privacy and Security Assessment Report
Objective: Demonstrate knowledge of privacy and security of Protected Health Information (PHI)
Performing a risk analysis should be a yearly event for any health care organization. Such exercise should include hardware, software, database, physical access, and HIPAA contracts. Although encryption is a sine qua non in security and safety policy, there is also a need to monitor the data to determine if PHI has been accessed, altered or deleted while on transit. Therefore, the importance of a security risk assessment is clear: It helps healthcare organizations ensure their physical, technical and administrative safeguards are compliant with HIPAA requirements. It also assists in showing areas where an organization might be putting PHI and other sensitive information at risk. All PHI and electronic PHI (ePHI) that a facility creates, receives, maintains or transmits must be protected, and a risk assessment is an important part of this process.
Recent incidences has shown that a security breach in health care—as in every industry—is not a matter of if, but when. Preventing it should be top priority. But when a breach occurs, it is advisable that security professional should only focus on the threat itself rather bogged down with administrative issues such as when software was last updated or when vendors last updated their certifications. The resilience of any healthcare organization is directly tied to the thoroughness of their security risk assessments. The speed of the response to an attempted breach will directly impact the organization’s ability to get back to business as usual. Security risk assessment should be an accurate and thorough review of the potential risks and integrity, as well as the vulnerability of the electronic protected health information (ePHI) and other sensitive information.
Reflection 3-Mod 7_ENCL 500 Emerging Technology
Objective: Articulate knowledge of hardware
A severe heart disease 30 years ago is almost a sure end of life event but not anymore. New technologies have provided the opportunity for interventions like stents and surgery. Remote Patient Monitoring technology has the power to link physicians and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to accelerate collection of valuable information and improve patient care. The use of smart phones will record all the vital signs and trigger alerts to the physician in case of exacerbation. Pedometers track patients’ physical activity. The data collected from the pedometer is used to provide feedback to patients.
Telemedicine, the concept of treating patients from afar via satellite, video conferencing, data transfer and other internet technologies is not exactly a new idea, but it’s fast becoming commonplace in today’s healthcare. While medical records have been in written, contextual media for some time, video and audio media is rapidly growing in use. This and other medical devises alike have eliminated the need to schedule an appointment, wait for the appointment, and then travel to the clinic to make the appointment.
The strength of the remote monitory for patients is that it reduces cost and improves health outcomes by preventing re-hospitalization. There is also saving for patients in time and resources, savings due to early diagnosis and prompt treatment. All these will transform into a bigger tax base for the government. It also empowers patients to be involved in their care and be able to make meaningful decisions about their care. The weakness of the remote monitory system is that some physicians do not want to use data that was not collected under their supervision. There could also be some issue with breach of privacy since some of these internet based systems may not be as secure. All put together, the trajectory of emerging technologies in the health care industry is exciting and promising.
All these technologies come to us packaged in the form of a hardware. The size, weight and appeal of this packaging is a vital component in the design. The evolving nature of desktop computers from a bulky and heavy mass to a relatively light mass is an example. Hardware for these advances in medicine should not only adopt user-centered design and implementation, it should be tailored to the home as well as the hospital setting. Besides, the system hardware is required to meet national security guidelines and be able to protect electronic health information created or maintained by the device.
Objective: Articulate methods for design of quality programs or performance improvement programs as applied to performance of electronic health records systems.
In 2013, The office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released a guiding document called Capturing High Quality Electronic Health Records Data to support Performance Improvements. This document comprised of lessons learned by the 17 Beacon Community Awardees of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program demonstrates how health information technology (health IT) investments and Meaningful Use of electronic health records (EHR) advance the vision of patient-centered care, while supporting better health, better care at lower cost. This document was used as a guide to evaluating a small family practice, Waverly Family Health Services. Part of the scope of the evaluation to design and implement a web based Electronic Health System (EHR) for a small healthcare facility. The implementation will include Web Installation of the EHR system, System Conversion, and Migration from Paper to Electronic records format.
Beginning with case studies, a methodical examination of existing staffing, IT infrastructure, and other relevant information was conducted. Documentation of patient protected health information and improved sale revenue are very vital aspects this program evaluation. Success can be measured along the lines of the liquid cash generated by sales. The overall goal is to change the design of organization’s processes, and policies to enhance the results of the interplay of operation and sales so as to engage in a continuous improvement process that promotes learning at all levels. With the installation of electronic health records and the redesign of the internal process for Waverly Health Family Health, there will be an integration of the new dynamics such that people, processes, facilities, equipment, and organizations all work together to achieve better care at lower cost
Reflections 2 Mod 7_HCIN 544 Privacy and Security Assessment Report
Objective: Demonstrate knowledge of privacy and security of Protected Health Information (PHI)
Performing a risk analysis should be a yearly event for any health care organization. Such exercise should include hardware, software, database, physical access, and HIPAA contracts. Although encryption is a sine qua non in security and safety policy, there is also a need to monitor the data to determine if PHI has been accessed, altered or deleted while on transit. Therefore, the importance of a security risk assessment is clear: It helps healthcare organizations ensure their physical, technical and administrative safeguards are compliant with HIPAA requirements. It also assists in showing areas where an organization might be putting PHI and other sensitive information at risk. All PHI and electronic PHI (ePHI) that a facility creates, receives, maintains or transmits must be protected, and a risk assessment is an important part of this process.
Recent incidences has shown that a security breach in health care—as in every industry—is not a matter of if, but when. Preventing it should be top priority. But when a breach occurs, it is advisable that security professional should only focus on the threat itself rather bogged down with administrative issues such as when software was last updated or when vendors last updated their certifications. The resilience of any healthcare organization is directly tied to the thoroughness of their security risk assessments. The speed of the response to an attempted breach will directly impact the organization’s ability to get back to business as usual. Security risk assessment should be an accurate and thorough review of the potential risks and integrity, as well as the vulnerability of the electronic protected health information (ePHI) and other sensitive information.
Reflection 3-Mod 7_ENCL 500 Emerging Technology
Objective: Articulate knowledge of hardware
A severe heart disease 30 years ago is almost a sure end of life event but not anymore. New technologies have provided the opportunity for interventions like stents and surgery. Remote Patient Monitoring technology has the power to link physicians and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to accelerate collection of valuable information and improve patient care. The use of smart phones will record all the vital signs and trigger alerts to the physician in case of exacerbation. Pedometers track patients’ physical activity. The data collected from the pedometer is used to provide feedback to patients.
Telemedicine, the concept of treating patients from afar via satellite, video conferencing, data transfer and other internet technologies is not exactly a new idea, but it’s fast becoming commonplace in today’s healthcare. While medical records have been in written, contextual media for some time, video and audio media is rapidly growing in use. This and other medical devises alike have eliminated the need to schedule an appointment, wait for the appointment, and then travel to the clinic to make the appointment.
The strength of the remote monitory for patients is that it reduces cost and improves health outcomes by preventing re-hospitalization. There is also saving for patients in time and resources, savings due to early diagnosis and prompt treatment. All these will transform into a bigger tax base for the government. It also empowers patients to be involved in their care and be able to make meaningful decisions about their care. The weakness of the remote monitory system is that some physicians do not want to use data that was not collected under their supervision. There could also be some issue with breach of privacy since some of these internet based systems may not be as secure. All put together, the trajectory of emerging technologies in the health care industry is exciting and promising.
All these technologies come to us packaged in the form of a hardware. The size, weight and appeal of this packaging is a vital component in the design. The evolving nature of desktop computers from a bulky and heavy mass to a relatively light mass is an example. Hardware for these advances in medicine should not only adopt user-centered design and implementation, it should be tailored to the home as well as the hospital setting. Besides, the system hardware is required to meet national security guidelines and be able to protect electronic health information created or maintained by the device.
| artifact_1_mod_7_hcin-542_pmp_post_implementation_evaluation.docx |
| artifact_2_mod_7_hcin_544_privacy_and_security_assessment__report.docx |
| artifact_3_mod_7_encl_500_emerging_technology.docx |
| artifact_4_mod_7_hcin_543_database_design_and_knowledge_management.docx |
