Evolution of Health Care Information Systems, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Modern health care information systems have evolved into highly advanced technology-based solutions to manage data and information in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The advancements that have been made in this arena have led to considerable advantages for physicians and clinicians in providing optimal care and treatment for many patients. These resources have captured the attention and interest of many health care organizations, from small doctor’s offices to large hospital systems. These systems are available in many shapes and sizes, depending upon the organizational strategy, approach, and resources that are available. It is important to recognize how health care systems of past decades are in stark contrast to the systems of today and how technological integration has been very successful in leading the change towards optimal efficiency and effectiveness. The following discussion will address these advancements in greater detail and will compare these modern systems to the events taking place in hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices two decades ago. This will offer a more effective comparison of system changes and the evolution of this process into what it stands for today.

Analysis and Literature Review: Comparison and Contrast

Health care information systems have evolved significantly over a 20-year period, with the continued growth and availability of technology-based resources for use in treating patients, managing health records, and supporting the desired objectives. In some respects, the approach to consider over the long term was to focus on optimal patient care rather than cost effectiveness, which was a challenging premise: “Patient-centered information processing was our aim from the beginning on, not institution-centered processing, which may lead to sub-optimal results with respect to quality and costs of patient care” (Haux, 2006, p. 272). Therefore, it was obvious that health care information systems were originally created to gather and maintain patient-related data without serious consideration of the costs, given that in many cases, multiple systems or segments were created (Haux, 2006). However, the costs of maintaining these systems was significant, so additional resources were explored to determine if these costs could be reduced through increased technological innovation (Haux, 2006). An important factor to consider is that health care systems have evolved under the practice of treating patient information in a confidential and personal manner (Fichman et.al, 2011). In the past, patient information and records were kept in paper version in rows of filing cabinets or other units, such as open bookshelves behind the receptionist’s desk, and were not always locked and protected from unnecessary risk. This practice was commonplace because there was no other means of storing this information except in a paper version. Therefore, personal and confidential patient data was left exposed and vulnerable to any person with access to patient files. This set of circumstances was less than desirable because it exposed patients to unintentional threats to the integrity of their medical information.

As time passed and technological advancements were established, it became increasingly apparent that there was a need to save patient records and other pertinent information in a non-paper format to better protect the confidentiality of this information and its integrity. However, the nature and complexity of these systems were not always well understood and many organizations did not have the capital available to purchase a system that would accommodate all of their needs. It was believed at this time that “The use of computers would, it was held, allow rapid and accurate collection and retrieval of all clinical information, perform automatic diagnosis, collect, monitor and analyze a variety of physiological signals, perform and interpret all laboratory tests immediately, and replace the telephone and the medical record by fulfilling their functions” (Barnett, p. 1). This was a fallacy to some degree because the creation of such a system would not solve all problems; rather, it could even create new challenges for the organization and its people (Barnett). Under these circumstances, it was clearly evident that the strategy of developing a comprehensive system to accommodate all patient records and tests could be more trouble than it was worth (Barnett). Therefore, the most viable solution was to create a less intensive system with smaller components, which would be better received by the medical community and would also be more cost effective (Barnett).

As organizations committed themselves to implementing technology-based solutions to manage health information and records, it was important for clinicians to recognize the value of this approach and how it could improve patient care and related outcomes. In developing these systems further, clinicians began to realize the potential benefits of these systems to improve their own treatment of patients using real-time data and past medical history to develop diagnoses and draw conclusions (Langley and Beasley, 2007). These developments also supported the creation of new tools to improve efficiency in accessing patient information without significant delays (Langley and Beasley, 2007). It was also recognized that “Even those health IT systems that capture most of the pertinent data for great care often do not have mechanisms for pulling the data into a single location. A single, comprehensive display will require sophisticated design allowing a dense display of data that is easily readable and reflects the unique situation of each patient” (Langley and Beasley, 2007, p. 10). These factors were instrumental in creating electronic health systems that could capture data and information in a single location to encourage efficiency at all levels (Langley and Beasley, 2007).

In the process of establishing these systems, it was clear that the quality of patient care could be improved when clinicians were able to access patient information at the touch of a button. In theory, this practice would minimize errors and improve patient treatment options and outcomes over time. Regardless of the size of the organization, a roadmap was necessary to ensure that patient information remained confidential yet easily accessible to make successful patient care decisions. In response to the challenges set forth by the health care community, it was determined that all health care information systems would require a strategic approach that was focused on the patient and the quality of care over other factors. This would encourage the creation of new ideas and opportunities to support patient treatment needs and minimize errors as best as possible. These efforts supported the creation of a system which could capture relevant patient information in an easily recognizable and detailed format for future analysis.

Over the past two decades, many health care organizations large and small have taken full advantage of improving their practices and the quality of patient care through the implementation of information systems. These systems capture the data and information that is necessary to make effective decisions regarding patient care and treatment in a manner that is consistent with protecting medical records as best as possible. Therefore, it is important to strike a balance between these objectives in an effort to produce the desired results for the organization and for its patient population. The development of a successful approach requires an evaluation of capital and other resources that are required to facilitate this transition in an effective manner. It is important for organizations to be apprised of current and emerging trends, as well as other factors which may result in positive technology-based capabilities for the organization as a whole. Discussions must be established regarding an organization’s patient population, the level of detail that is required with the information system platform, as well as other factors which may lead to positive outcomes for the facility over time.

In response to the call for improvements in health care information systems, a number of trends emerged which were critical in shaping the direction of this practice in future years. To be specific, the emergence of electronic health records (EHRs) and patient health records (PHRs) were some of the most essential practices of the evolution of health care information systems. In this context, “EHRs and PHRs make it possible, for example, for a doctor treating a patient in California to pull up information on a computer screen about a patient’s hospital stay in New York five years earlier, or about a medication taken a year ago that caused an adverse reaction. As a result, EHRs and PHRs help doctors provide more effective care and avoid unnecessary and costly duplication of services” (AHIP, 2005, p. 41). Therefore, the creation of these records has been instrumental in shaping the direction of health care information systems across thousands of organizations. In addition, the process of e-prescribing, which is defined as “using PCs and hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs) to check prescriptions against patients’ prescription drug histories, consult health plan formularies for coverage information, and transmit e-prescriptions to pharmacies” (AHIP, 2005, p. 7). This alternative has been very successful in enabling physicians and practitioners to prescribe drugs with greater knowledge of a patient’s medical history at their fingertips (AHIP, 2005). This is a critical component of modern health care practice to reduce adverse events and other side effects when prescriptions are written because it minimizes errors and other patient symptoms (AHIP, 2005).

Each of these significant trends played an important role in shaping the health care system and its potential outcomes for patients. EHRS, PHRS, and e-prescribing are tools that have enabled many health care organizations to move to the next level in supporting their desired goals and objectives and in optimizing the care and treatment of all patients. With these records, health care information systems expand to new heights and provide physicians and other clinicians with easy access to patient information and records in a manner that is consistent with higher quality and improved wellbeing. From this perspective, it is likely that organizations will continue to grow and thrive with the expanded use of these tools in a comprehensive manner, while also maintaining an active approach to promoting cost effectiveness over time. It is expected that the development of new tools will allow these organizations to make even greater strides in the future to accomplish their objectives in treating patients of all ages and population groups with the most advanced tools and technologies that are available across different specialties.

Conclusion

The evolution of health care information systems has been instrumental in improving the efficiency of organizations and in improving the quality of patient care and treatment. Continued expansion of these efforts over the past two decades has been an important contributor to the advancement of health care practice and the overall direction of the health care system. Health care information systems have evolved significantly to the degree that they provide important opportunities for organizations to improve the scope of their care and treatment for all patients. This process encourages the creation of electronic health records and other patient information in a clear and concise format that is protected using advanced encryption techniques. These practices are also important indicators of the manner in which health care information systems have grown and expanded to include a variety of technology-based alternatives for long-term use. Accessing patient records is simpler than ever and the ability to make diagnoses regarding patients in a convenient manner, using years of medical history in an organized and detailed format. With these continued trends, it is likely that the next wave of the health care arena will expand upon existing principles and will utilize new technologies to advance practice even further into the 21^st Century.

References

America’s Health Insurance Plans (2005). Innovations in health information technology. Retrieved from http://www.providersedge.com/ehdocs/ehr_articles/Innovations_in_Health_Information_Technology.pdf

Barnett, G.O. History of the development of medical information systems at the Laboratory of Computer Science at Massachusetts General Hospital. Retrieved from http://www.seaislandsystems.com/Hardhats/HistoricDocs/OctoBarnett-History.pdf

Fichman, R.G., Kohli, R., and Krishnan, R. (2011). The role of information systems in healthcare: current research and future trends. Information Systems Research, 22(3), 419-428.

Haux, R. (2006). Health information systems – past, present, future. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 75, 268-281.

Langley, J., and Beasley, C. (2007). Health information technology for improving quality of care in primary care settings. Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, pp. 1-39.