The government of the Western Province wants to purchase a pre-existing or custom-built EMR management system from a local or multinational company that would lead to improvements in the:-healthcare of patients -accuracy of record keeping -efficiency of the hospital and clinics.
1. What is an EMR management system? What do they typically include? How would they help improve each of the points above? Would they be available in East African countries? Provide evidence for your answer!
EMR = Electronic Medical Record. So i'm guessing that an EMR management system is an electronic medical record management system... but I don't know. A EMR is usually a computerized legal medical record created in an organization that delivers care, such as a hospital and doctor's surgery. Electronic medical records tend to be a part of a local stand-alone health information system that allows storage, retrieval and manipulation of records. An EMR management system would help improve each of the points above because EMR's are organized, allow storage, retrieval, and manipulation of records. Yes, an EMR management system would be available in East Afrcian countries however at a price.
2. What options are available for pre-exisiting systems? What are the price points for those systems? What are the advantages and disadvantages to buying a pre-built system?
The options that are available for preexisting systems are that the Oobunta clinics and hospitals could get used computers for a cheaper price than new and implement an EMR sytem into them for a higher price which will allow for the cheaper computers to equal out the new database software. Electronic medical record (EMR) software prices typically range from $10,000 to $30,000 per physician, with higher and lower cost options on the market. In addition to the software license cost, implementation adds indirect costs. These include training; additional hardware or software; downtime or decreased productivity during implementation; vendor implementation fees; ongoing service or maintenance fees; and possible attorney, electrician, contractor, or consultant fees. The advantages for buying a prebuilt system is that it is cheaper than a new one however the system may have defects associated with it such as viruses or broken equipment.
3. What options are available for custom systems? What are the price ranges for those systems? What are the advantages and disadvantages to buying a custom system?
The sample presented below is from texmed.org:
Sample Costs (based on an average, 3.5-physician practice)
Software Licenses
Product A $ 31,980
Product B $ 61,020
Product C $ 71,000
Data Conversion
A 2,995
B 2,900
C 5,000
Other Licenses
-
B 6,691
C 8,000
Training
A 6,205
B 26,449
C 50,635
Installation
A 4,480
B 12,345
C 4,940
Discounts
-
B (23,215)
C (19,402)
Annual Recurring Costs
A 12,871
B 26,834
C 21,537
Hardware/Network
A 30,000
B 30,000
C 30,000
Project Total
A $ 88,531
B $ 143,024
C $ 171,710
As we can see, the higher and more custom an EMR system is than the more expensive it will be. There are advantages though to buying a custom system however. Some of these adantages may include easier accessibility, easier operation and manipulation, more storage or less storage depending on how many people go to the clinic per year. However, there are diadvantages too to custom EMR system because an EMR system is already large and can contain a lot of information. Upgrading one is, in my opinion, a waste of money (that these clinics have little of) and they should be looking more into physical IT systems rather than hardware and software systems.
4. Make a recommendation to the government of the Western Province; which type of system should they buy? Which options should it include? What compromises will they have to make?
I believe that the government of the Western Province should by pre-existing computers and spend more money on EMR systems. The more computers the clinics have along with the hospital, the more information can be passed to a fro between the two. You should buy cheaper computers, that are relatively new (last 10 years) and install EMR systems into them. I do not think that it is neccessary to have a custom system installed because it is a waste of money and more physical IT systems should be purchased instead (xray systems, MRI's). I believe that you will have to help the clinics of Oobunta, whether you see it in the countries best interests economically, because when people need help, it should be given to them despite their distance from the hospital and/or their state in the economic ladder.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Follow up FBI questions
Discuss three advantages the biometric database provides the FBI. Evaluate these advantages.
Biometrics:
- How you walk
- Speech Pattern
- Facial Features
- Iris
- Ear lobe
- Finger Print
- Typing/keystrokes
- Hand geometry
1. Speed: A computer can compare data much faster than a human; this potentially allows for the capture of criminals much sooner
2. Accessibility: 900,000 law enforcers now have the ability to search FBI database easier than before when people would have to
3. Accuracy: A computer can compare data much more efficiently and accurately rather than a human can; computers have no bias, opinion, or emotion; this potentially allows for the capture or criminals rather than civilians
4. Capacity: computers can store far more data and can access data across the networks
5. Thoroughness: access data from all over the world than it will be much faster/easier to catch a criminal
Biometrics:
- How you walk
- Speech Pattern
- Facial Features
- Iris
- Ear lobe
- Finger Print
- Typing/keystrokes
- Hand geometry
1. Speed: A computer can compare data much faster than a human; this potentially allows for the capture of criminals much sooner
2. Accessibility: 900,000 law enforcers now have the ability to search FBI database easier than before when people would have to
3. Accuracy: A computer can compare data much more efficiently and accurately rather than a human can; computers have no bias, opinion, or emotion; this potentially allows for the capture or criminals rather than civilians
4. Capacity: computers can store far more data and can access data across the networks
5. Thoroughness: access data from all over the world than it will be much faster/easier to catch a criminal
Social Issues
FBI Prepares Vast Database Of Biometrics
1. What are the social issues associated with a particular IT development?
2. How did the IT development emerge?
3. Who are the stakeholders--individuals, institutions, societies who initiate and control the IT developments and are affected by them?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the stakeholders?
5. What feasible solutions cab be applied to overcome problems?
6. What is the social impact of the IT development on human life? This may include some or all of the following areas: economic, political, cultural, legal, environmental, ergonomic, health and psychological.
7. What are the social impacts on local and global communities?
1. What are the social issues associated with a particular IT development?
2. How did the IT development emerge?
3. Who are the stakeholders--individuals, institutions, societies who initiate and control the IT developments and are affected by them?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the stakeholders?
5. What feasible solutions cab be applied to overcome problems?
6. What is the social impact of the IT development on human life? This may include some or all of the following areas: economic, political, cultural, legal, environmental, ergonomic, health and psychological.
7. What are the social impacts on local and global communities?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Case Study Problem #1
What is the most appropriate IT system that would allow data to be accessed and transferred between the hospital and the village clinics?
The most appropriate IT system that would allow data to be accessed and transferred between the hospital and the village clinics is either a peer to peer network or virtual private network with disaster recovery. This is because a peer to peer network allows for the transferal of real time data. P2P networks are typically used for connecting nodes via largely ad hoc connections. This means that a P2P network would be good to have specifically in the each clinic rather than having all the clinics and the hospital connected with one P2P network. P2P networks are useful for many purposes such as sharing content files containing audio, video, data or anything in digital format. This would be a very feasible IT solution for the clinics because the technology needed for a P2P network is very antiquated, which is perfect for the clinics both IT wise and economically, and the health workers would be able to easily access and transfer data with the help of a P2P network and email. A P2P network would be used for patient and financial record keeping. The other option is a VPN. A virtual private network (VPN) is a "a wide area network whose links are provided by a common carrier although they appear to the users to behave like dedicated lines and whose computers use a common cryptographic key to send messages from one computer in the network to another." A virtual private network would allow the clinics, which vary in distance from the hospital in Oobunta, to send messages to each other easily because they are all connected through a common carrier in which the dedicated lines are only provided to the hospital and the clinics, nowhere else.
Another appropriate IT system would be email or gmail/google docs. This is because this is a free form of IT that is very easy to understand and use. Village A and B both have Internet access however Village C only has a phone line. But, if Village C was able to acquire a modem then they would also be able to have some form of Internet with which they could set up gdocs and gmail for free and be able to communicate with the other Village clinics and Oobunta Hospital quickly and they would be able to access and transfer data between one another.
I believe that the most appropriate IT system that would allow data to be accessed and transferred between the hospital and the village clinics is a VPN network because the clinics could easily set up Internet access within the facilities and with a VPN network, the clinics and the hospital can transfer and access data very quickly and in an organized manner.
Tasks to understand the context of healthcare and IT:
1. Search through sites such as the BBC News website, The Economist, and the Financial Times for "health care" and "Africa" and other related terms to get a sense of the state of healthcare and healthcare technology in Africa.
The current state of healthcare and healthcare technology in Africa is absolutely dreadful. There are little to no doctors in Africa and in some places in Africa the people to doctor ratio is 10000 to 1, which is very low. The healthcare technology is also very antiquated and does not provide enough assistance to the sick (People with HIV aids). However, there are some British and American companies which are working to spread healthcare technology through the use of cellphones in Africa. The American and British companies both send out text messages to the people in Africa who have cellphones and tell them that they should try to get tested for AIDS. This new technology has really increased AIDs awareness in Africa and also is helping decrease the risk of obtaining AIDs because in the text message the companies tell the people of Africa how to avoid it.
2. Search through the websites of local hospitals such as Cape Cod Hospital, Falmouth Hospital, and Jordan hospital to find out about their use of technology.
The Cape Cod Hospital and the Jordan Hospital both use databases in order to bring up old patients records and to record new ones. The use of databases allows easy search enquiries in which the doctors and nurses can find old records of patients and their status'. Also both hospitals use many forms of hardware such as X-rays and MRI's in order to find out what is in a person that is sick or a person that might have broken a bone.
3. Be sure to address at least all of the following ITGS questions:
a. Who are the stakeholders—individuals, institutions, societies who initiate and control the ITdevelopments and are affected by them?
The stakeholders are the people that go to the hospital because they have been injured in some way and need help from the doctors and nurses as well as the IT there (X-ray machines, MRI's), the doctors and nurses that use the IT in the hospitals, and the people/companies that make the IT for the hospital.
b. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the stakeholders?
The advantages for the people that go to the hospital if they have been injured are that they can find out what's the matter with them and then use the IT there to make them better. However, the disadvantages of this is that if they go to the hospital and they get something done to them using the IT in the hospital, there is a possibility of something going wrong with the procedure and that injured person can become more prone to injury or even death. The advantages for the doctors and the nurses that use the IT in the hospitals is that the IT makes their jobs easier because they can use the IT in the hospital to determine what is the matter with the people coming in to be seen and that they can make those people better. However, the same applies to the doctors and nurses as did to the people, which is that the IT in the hospital might have a failure and/or malfunction which would create the possibility of causing more injury to the already injured person. The advantages for the people/companies that make the IT systems is that they are making lots of money. However, their disadvantage is that if something is the matter with their IT system then people could get hurt, then sue, and then the companies would lose money.
c. Who is responsible?
The government is responsible for creating just a just healthcare system in which people can become healthier. If the government passed some bills then healthcare could be given to all people and many more hospitals can be opened throughout the United States and throughout the world.
d. Who is accountable?
The doctors and nurses are accountable because they help the injured or sick people and they use the IT. Also the people/companies that make the IT system could be accountable because they are selling there products for the hospitals to use.
e. What policies, rules or laws apply to the situation?
Many policies, rules, and laws apply to the situation such as the hospitals implementing healthcare to all who go there for help or assistance and all the governments need to allow healthcare either free or for a small fee to all people all over the world.
The most appropriate IT system that would allow data to be accessed and transferred between the hospital and the village clinics is either a peer to peer network or virtual private network with disaster recovery. This is because a peer to peer network allows for the transferal of real time data. P2P networks are typically used for connecting nodes via largely ad hoc connections. This means that a P2P network would be good to have specifically in the each clinic rather than having all the clinics and the hospital connected with one P2P network. P2P networks are useful for many purposes such as sharing content files containing audio, video, data or anything in digital format. This would be a very feasible IT solution for the clinics because the technology needed for a P2P network is very antiquated, which is perfect for the clinics both IT wise and economically, and the health workers would be able to easily access and transfer data with the help of a P2P network and email. A P2P network would be used for patient and financial record keeping. The other option is a VPN. A virtual private network (VPN) is a "a wide area network whose links are provided by a common carrier although they appear to the users to behave like dedicated lines and whose computers use a common cryptographic key to send messages from one computer in the network to another." A virtual private network would allow the clinics, which vary in distance from the hospital in Oobunta, to send messages to each other easily because they are all connected through a common carrier in which the dedicated lines are only provided to the hospital and the clinics, nowhere else.
Another appropriate IT system would be email or gmail/google docs. This is because this is a free form of IT that is very easy to understand and use. Village A and B both have Internet access however Village C only has a phone line. But, if Village C was able to acquire a modem then they would also be able to have some form of Internet with which they could set up gdocs and gmail for free and be able to communicate with the other Village clinics and Oobunta Hospital quickly and they would be able to access and transfer data between one another.
I believe that the most appropriate IT system that would allow data to be accessed and transferred between the hospital and the village clinics is a VPN network because the clinics could easily set up Internet access within the facilities and with a VPN network, the clinics and the hospital can transfer and access data very quickly and in an organized manner.
Tasks to understand the context of healthcare and IT:
1. Search through sites such as the BBC News website, The Economist, and the Financial Times for "health care" and "Africa" and other related terms to get a sense of the state of healthcare and healthcare technology in Africa.
The current state of healthcare and healthcare technology in Africa is absolutely dreadful. There are little to no doctors in Africa and in some places in Africa the people to doctor ratio is 10000 to 1, which is very low. The healthcare technology is also very antiquated and does not provide enough assistance to the sick (People with HIV aids). However, there are some British and American companies which are working to spread healthcare technology through the use of cellphones in Africa. The American and British companies both send out text messages to the people in Africa who have cellphones and tell them that they should try to get tested for AIDS. This new technology has really increased AIDs awareness in Africa and also is helping decrease the risk of obtaining AIDs because in the text message the companies tell the people of Africa how to avoid it.
2. Search through the websites of local hospitals such as Cape Cod Hospital, Falmouth Hospital, and Jordan hospital to find out about their use of technology.
The Cape Cod Hospital and the Jordan Hospital both use databases in order to bring up old patients records and to record new ones. The use of databases allows easy search enquiries in which the doctors and nurses can find old records of patients and their status'. Also both hospitals use many forms of hardware such as X-rays and MRI's in order to find out what is in a person that is sick or a person that might have broken a bone.
3. Be sure to address at least all of the following ITGS questions:
a. Who are the stakeholders—individuals, institutions, societies who initiate and control the ITdevelopments and are affected by them?
The stakeholders are the people that go to the hospital because they have been injured in some way and need help from the doctors and nurses as well as the IT there (X-ray machines, MRI's), the doctors and nurses that use the IT in the hospitals, and the people/companies that make the IT for the hospital.
b. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the stakeholders?
The advantages for the people that go to the hospital if they have been injured are that they can find out what's the matter with them and then use the IT there to make them better. However, the disadvantages of this is that if they go to the hospital and they get something done to them using the IT in the hospital, there is a possibility of something going wrong with the procedure and that injured person can become more prone to injury or even death. The advantages for the doctors and the nurses that use the IT in the hospitals is that the IT makes their jobs easier because they can use the IT in the hospital to determine what is the matter with the people coming in to be seen and that they can make those people better. However, the same applies to the doctors and nurses as did to the people, which is that the IT in the hospital might have a failure and/or malfunction which would create the possibility of causing more injury to the already injured person. The advantages for the people/companies that make the IT systems is that they are making lots of money. However, their disadvantage is that if something is the matter with their IT system then people could get hurt, then sue, and then the companies would lose money.
c. Who is responsible?
The government is responsible for creating just a just healthcare system in which people can become healthier. If the government passed some bills then healthcare could be given to all people and many more hospitals can be opened throughout the United States and throughout the world.
d. Who is accountable?
The doctors and nurses are accountable because they help the injured or sick people and they use the IT. Also the people/companies that make the IT system could be accountable because they are selling there products for the hospitals to use.
e. What policies, rules or laws apply to the situation?
Many policies, rules, and laws apply to the situation such as the hospitals implementing healthcare to all who go there for help or assistance and all the governments need to allow healthcare either free or for a small fee to all people all over the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)