For those who are working, interview your IT in-charge and ask him/her to describe the computer database systems used in the company. Write your answer in 1-2 paragraphs. Further, ask also the benefits and/or disadvantages derived from these database systems.
For those who are not working, research one company in the net who is using computerized database systems. Describe the use and/or nature of these systems and describe too the benefits/disadvantages from these systems. Include your reference.
*** Hospital Information System (HIS) is a computerized system designed to meet the information needs of all (or most) of a hospital. This includes many diverse types of data, such as:
Patient information
Clinical laboratory, radiology, and patient monitoring
Patient census and billing
Staffing and scheduling
Outcomes assessment and quality control
Pharmacy ordering, prescription handling, and pharmacopoeia information
Decision support
Finance and accounting
Supplies, inventory, maintenance, and orders management
Patient information
Clinical laboratory, radiology, and patient monitoring
Patient census and billing
Staffing and scheduling
Outcomes assessment and quality control
Pharmacy ordering, prescription handling, and pharmacopoeia information
Decision support
Finance and accounting
Supplies, inventory, maintenance, and orders management
**Early hospital computer systems developed from business computing systems in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and were used for accounting, billing, inventory and similar business-related functions.
Others were developed during the 1960s primarily for storing patient information to be used by medical staff.
These types of systems have been slow to integrate. Surveys (Dorenfest 1987, 1992) of hospitals since 1980 have shown that less than half of community hospitals have full Hospital Information Systems, mainly because few were available to integrate all the functions needed. Research and teaching hospitals presumably have a much higher usage of Hospital Information Systems.
The future is not certain. Several factors are at work:
Computer hardware is getting more affordable
Computer software is not getting any less expensive
Budgets for Hospital Information Systems are generally not expanding
Medical caregivers are under pressure to handle more patients on an outpatient basis, reducing hospital census and generally reducing hospital budgets
Standards for storing and exchanging patient information have not been agreed on
An overall plan for national health care - which could have a big impact on Hospital Information Systems - has been a political football, leading to uncertainty in planning.
Others were developed during the 1960s primarily for storing patient information to be used by medical staff.
These types of systems have been slow to integrate. Surveys (Dorenfest 1987, 1992) of hospitals since 1980 have shown that less than half of community hospitals have full Hospital Information Systems, mainly because few were available to integrate all the functions needed. Research and teaching hospitals presumably have a much higher usage of Hospital Information Systems.
The future is not certain. Several factors are at work:
Computer hardware is getting more affordable
Computer software is not getting any less expensive
Budgets for Hospital Information Systems are generally not expanding
Medical caregivers are under pressure to handle more patients on an outpatient basis, reducing hospital census and generally reducing hospital budgets
Standards for storing and exchanging patient information have not been agreed on
An overall plan for national health care - which could have a big impact on Hospital Information Systems - has been a political football, leading to uncertainty in planning.
Advantages of Hospital Information Systems and listed these benefits:
Increased time nurses spend with patients
Access to information
Improved quality of documentation
Improved quality of patient care
Increased nursing productivity
Improved communications
Reduced errors of omission
Reduced medication errors
Reduced hospital costs
Increased nurse job satisfaction
Compliance with regulations of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)
Development of a common clinical database
Improved patient's perception of care
Enhanced ability to track patient's record
Enhanced ability to recruit and retain staff
Improved hospital image But what about the cost? Here are some interesting estimates:
It costs approximately $5,000 to computerize a nursing administrative office
Administrative uses of Hospital Information Systems can save approximately $36 billion each year in the U.S. (Estimates from Saba & McCormick 1996, p.308)
*****REFERENCE**
Much of the information discussed here is drawn from Saba & McCormick 1996.
Dorenfest, S. 1993.
The Dorenfest 3000+ Database and the Dorenfest Guide to the Hospital Information Systems Market. Chicago: published by the author. Quoted in Saba and McCormick 1996, p. 190.
Marr, P., E. Duthie, K. Glassman et al. 1993.
Bedside terminals and quality of nursing documentation. Computers in Nursing, 11(4), 176-182. Quoted in Saba and McCormick 1996, p.371.
Saba, V. and K. McCormick. 1996.
Essentials of Computers for Nurses. Second edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Simpson, R. 1992.
What nursing leaders are saying about technology. Nursing Management, 23(7), 28-32. Quoted in Saba & McCormick, pp. 358-9.
Dorenfest, S. 1993.
The Dorenfest 3000+ Database and the Dorenfest Guide to the Hospital Information Systems Market. Chicago: published by the author. Quoted in Saba and McCormick 1996, p. 190.
Marr, P., E. Duthie, K. Glassman et al. 1993.
Bedside terminals and quality of nursing documentation. Computers in Nursing, 11(4), 176-182. Quoted in Saba and McCormick 1996, p.371.
Saba, V. and K. McCormick. 1996.
Essentials of Computers for Nurses. Second edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Simpson, R. 1992.
What nursing leaders are saying about technology. Nursing Management, 23(7), 28-32. Quoted in Saba & McCormick, pp. 358-9.
