Part 1
This week’s learning content introduces the many ways informatics is used in health care administration and operations to improve patient outcomes. This discussion invites you to examine informatics applications up close.
Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:
- What ideas in medical informatics presented in this week’s learning material excited and inspired you about the ways data can be used to improve health care? Explain the idea and provide examples.
- How can these applications of health data and information be used at an organization where you have worked?
PART 2
Respond to two classmate’s posts 80 word minimun
R1
Accurate data in healthcare is vital which can mean the difference between life and death to patients. Patient data are collected in many ways not just limited to patient interview or medical records, data can also be collected to medical devices either wearable devices or e-diaries among others. These data are captured for a range of reasons and stored in various databases across the healthcare system. Data allows doctors to serve patients in rural areas and other locations where vigorous medical infrastructure may not exist, Data also support and quickly intervene on high risk and high-cost patients, reduce costs of treatment, forecast outbreak epidemic, evade avoidable diseases, and expand the quality of life in general. Health data can be used to benefit individuals, public health and medical research and development. The utilization of health data is categorized as both primary or secondary. Primary purpose is when data is utilized to deliver health care to individual from whom it was collected while secondary use is when health data is used outside of healthcare delivery for that individual.
R2
What I saw over the years is that many medical records were physically locked away in secure locations prior to the Affordable Care Act, requiring medical professionals to maintain and protect them from theft which has been happening so frequently now in days. In some ways, this physical method of record storage has an impact on patient safety. Because the information is physical rather than virtual in other words digital there is a risk of it being lost due to human error or natural disasters, identity theft, or tampering by anyone with malicious intent. These dangers are mitigated to some extent by modern health informatics. Secure data storage is provided by electronic health record systems, which encrypt and secure patient data using advanced computing technologies. To help the situation, medical professionals must document their work in a specific way to ensure proper compensation for medical treatments provided under Medicare or Medicaid plans. They must confirm that patients received treatment before storing and recording the patient’s medical history on the appropriate electronic forms which is super important. Incorporating informatics into this process improves the flow of data between healthcare providers and government agencies. It also improves patient data standardization, making it easier for future healthcare professionals to streamline their own practices. Finally, informatics allows for faster file submission, resulting in faster reimbursement for health providers and faster notification of covered treatments for patients.
