Evolution of Health Care Information Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Health Care Information EssayOver the nett 20 long time dramatic changes slang occurred in the wellness palm industry. Health care technology has exploded over the last 20 years, non just in the arena of medical diagnosis and treatment, but also in the area of wellness information and documentation (The graphics of patient care, 2008, p. 1). devil Major EventsTwenty years ago, Riverview Hospital was limited with technology. The use of paper files for patient records is a thing of the past. Today Riverview Hospital uses electronic medical records (EMR). An EMR is fit to electronically collect and store patient data, supply that information to providers on request, permit clinicians to enter orders straightway into a computerized provider entry system, and advise wellness care practitioners by providing decision-support tools such as reminders, alerts, and access to the latest research findings, or appropriate evidence-based guidelines (Wagner, Lee, Glaser, 200 9, p. 1). Paper-based records have been in existence for centuries and their gradual replacement by computer-based records has been slowly underway for over twenty years in western healthcare systems (Open Clinical, n.d., p. 1).Riverview Hospital has also seen an increase in using ad hominem digital assistants (PDAs). Twenty years ago, PDAs did not exist. Doctors and other health care providers had to look up information in books and other publications. The use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in medicine and the health sciences has rapidly increased. Health care professionals are using PDAs for patient tracking, medical reference, and drug dosage, as well as personal use (Journal of the Medical Library Association, 2004, p. 1). Health care personnel need access to updated information anywhere and at any time, and a individual(prenominal) Digital Assistant (PDA) has the potential to meet these requirements. A PDA is a mobile tool which has been employed widely for various pu rposes in health care practice, and the level of its use is expected to increase.Loaded with suitable functions and softwareapplications, a PDA might qualify as the tool that personnel and students in health care need (PubMed, 2008, p. 1). According to a May 2002 article in BNET, PDA software enables health care professionals to store patient information, order prescriptions directly to pharmacies, check on lab results and access medical information remotely. PDA programs even allow health care professionals to document billing and claims encounters to be submitted to health plans (eHow, 2010, p. 1). The EMR system can connect doctors in a single practice and then share patient data with clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies if their systems are linked and compatible.EMR and PDAWith the capital punishment of the EMR and the PDA, Riverview Hospital has seen an increase in the number of patients. Although patient stays have decreased, the number of patients which pass though the hospita l has increased. The average stay today is fractional of what it was 20 years ago. With the introduction of technology, health care providers have the ability to look up almost any aspect of medical information inevitable at the touch of a button (The art of patient care, n.d., p. 1).The EMR implementation at Riverview Hospital has improved quality, outcomes, and safety. The EMR has improved efficiency, productivity, and cost reduction. The EMR has also improved proceeds and satisfaction. With PDAs, health care professionals can provide quality medical services to patients that are efficient and effective. PDAs offer instant access to critical information, so patients do not have to wait long to hear back from their doctors about lab test results or their prescription needs (eHow, 2010, p. 1).One has to take into experimental condition with the EMR and the PDA that HIPPA is not violated. Although with the introduction of the EMR, it is less likely to see HIPPA violations as comp ared to paper charts. Health care professionals who use PDAs must be careful to correctly secure their electronic devices in a way that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (eHow, 2010, p. 1).President Obama has pledged that every American provide have an electronic medical record by 2014. Twenty years ago, this was not even aconsideration. President Obama sees health care information technology and electronic medical records as key to improving the quality of care while reducing costs. This implementation will not only improve care coordination that will lead to better health care (reduced cost, enhanced quality), it will create jobs.BarriersThe EMR and the PDA can also cause barriers within the health care system. close to of the barriers are resistance. This resistance was seen among health care practitioners at Riverview Hospital, although the implementation happened. at that place may be technical matters that occur, financial matters, resou rce issues, training and re-training issues, certification, security, ethical matters, and confidentiality issues. There may also be incompatibility between systems and doubts on clinical usefulness.ConclusionRemarkable advances in medical technology, especially at Riverview Hospital, continue to render health care delivery. With this transformation comes many issues that arise. The EMR and the PDA can enhance how health care is delivered and can pose both positives and negatives. Within the 20 years at Riverview Hospital much has changed with technology and information systems, although one thing remains the same, the mission to treat patients as well as to improve and persist in the health and well-being of those they serve. Their vision is to redefine the healthcare experience, becoming the best place to work, practice medicine, and receive care.ReferenceseHow. (2010). Use of personal digital assistants in health care. Retrieved from http//www.ehow.com/facts_7436608_use-persona l-digital-assistants- healthcare.htmlJournal of the Medical Library Association. (2004). The use of personal digital assistants in the health sciences results of a survey. Retrieved fromhttp//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC442176/Kreidler, M.K. (2008). Health Care and Information Technology. Research Starters Business, (1).Open Clinical. (n.d.). electronic medical records. Retrieved from http//www.openclinical.org/emr.htmlPubMed. (2008). The use of the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) among personnel and students in health care. Retrieved fromhttp//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18957381Scientific American. (2009). Will Electronic Medical Records Improve Health Care. Retrieved from http//www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=electronic-health-records The art of patient care. (n.d.). Health Care Technology and Patient Care. Retrieved from http//www.art-of-patient-care.com/health-care-technology.html Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., Glaser, J. P. (2009). Health care information syst ems Apractical approach for health care management (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CAJossey-Bass.