Technology is ever changing in every industry. A few years ago, everybody needed hard copies of all documentation. Now, more and more companies and industries are faxing and emailing documentation instead. The world we live in is changing at such a rapid pace, we all need to stop resisting the moves toward technology. Electronic health systems in general are a great idea, and even more so in public hospitals. With any change, comes concern and resistance. This paper will discuss the advantages of the integration of electronic systems in public hospitals as well as some barriers and obstacles to overcome in this integrations.
Benefits and Advantages
When medical staff are trained properly on how to use the systems, electronic health information systems can be very useful. Rather than digging into old files to find a patient’s medical history, it is literally right at a medical professional’s fingertips. The accessibility to the information needed is unmatched by any other system previously used in the healthcare industry. A study conducted in Kenya revealed that it was difficult to integrate a health information system in all of the hospitals for various factors, such as the source documentation was poorly written (Kihuba, et.al. 2014), but if the source documentation had originally been input into the information system, this would not have been an issue. The study also indicated some flaws in the software, but these can be resolved through research and software design changes.
*Electronic health information systems can reshape the practice of public health including public health surveillance, disease and injury investigation and control, decision making, quality assurance, and policy development” (Tomines, et.al. 2013). With all the benefits listed, the health industry as we know it could change drastically for the better. All medical staff would be accountable for every action and decision they make. Accidents and deaths would be reduced. And the ability of physicians to always readily have quality data would drastically improve. (The availability of electronic clinical information on cases and their management will greatly enhance the ability to improve the quality of traditional public health services” (Tomines, et.al. 2013).
Potential Problems, Barriers and Solutions
As stated previously, in various studies the quality of the data has been called into question. This data, however would be skewed due to a number of reasons. The supporting data may not be accurate. The staff may not have entered the data correctly. The system may be a first generation system that still had bugs to work out. Certain variables may have been missing from the system. All the potential barriers and problems suggest a need for “a greater understanding of the processes used to implement such innovations” (Cuccinello, et. al. 2015. With all new innovations, there is a trial and error phase. With the implementation of the system, there must be changes and additions to be made. This does not mean the system itself is not worth implementation.
Conclusion
The benefits far outweigh the problems and barriers. The whole idea behind so many governments working on health care reform is to improve the quality and safety associated with care. (Cucciniello, et.al. 2015). The health information systems do just that. They improve the care of the patients at public hospitals. Many people are afraid of change, and resist it whenever possible, but this change is most definitely for the better.
References
- Cucciniello, M., Lapsley, I., Nasi, G., & Pagliari, C. (2015). Understanding key factors affecting electronic medical record implementation: A sociotechnical approach. BMC Health Services Research BMC Health Serv Res, 15(1). do:10.1186/12913-015-0928-7
- Kihuba, E., Gathara, D., Mwinga, S., Mulaku, M., Kosgei, R., Mogoa, W., Nyamai, R., & English, M. (2014). Assessing the ability of health information systems in hospitals to support evidence-informed decisions in Kenya. Global Health Action, 7.
- do:http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v7.24859
- Middleton, B., Bloomrosen, M., Dente, M. A., Hashmat, B., Koppel, R., Overhage, J. M., Zhang, J. (2013). Enhancing patient safety and quality of care by improving the usability of electronic health record systems: Recommendations from AMIA. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 20(1). doi: 10.1136/amiajnl-2012-001458
- Tomines, A., Readhead, H., Readhead, A., & Teutsch, S. (2013). Applications of Electronic Health Information in Public Health: Uses, Opportunities and Barriers. EGEMs (Generating Evidence & Methods to Improve Patient Outcomes), 1(2). do:10.13063/2327-9214.1019
