UNIT 1
Overview of Health Information System
Definitions:
HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM (HIS)
o System that integrates date collection, processing reporting, and use of the information necessary
for services
PATIENT ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM
o Admission and discharging
o Patient location (bed no. etc.)
o Hospital bed capacity
LABORATORY INFORMATION SYSTEM
o Patient ID
o Test request
o Test results
Other Info. Systems
o Disease surveillance systems
o Human resource management information systems
Importance
HIS involves the use of software application (i.e HospitalRun) for collecting data, storing, and processing
relevant information efficiently and more organized in various facilities. This allows accurate data
processing and error-free output
Benefits
Organized and coordinated treatment process
o Easier access to files
o Improved communication among doctors and hospitals
Improved Patient Safety
o Reduced medication errors
o Reduced adverse reactions
Betterment in Patient Care
o Comprehensive patient info/ complete information
Hassle-free Process for Performance Analysis
o Reduced paperwork
o Better control in accessing related information on performance indicators
Transfiguration in Clinical Procedures
o Monitoring of protocols to determine which step needs improvement
Circumvention of Medical Errors
o Minimization and removal of errors, especially in Px medical records
Instant and Seamless Accessibility to Px Details
Minimized Operational Expense
o Cost-effective
Saves Time
Patient Satisfaction
o Fast services
Attributes of a Well-Functioning HIS
Generation of individual-level, facility-based and population based data from multiple sources
Capacity to detect, investigate, communicate, and contain events that threaten public helath security
Ability to synthesize information and apple this knowledge
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
- Electronic systems (both hardware and software) used to store, share, and analyze health information
that are usually used by health care professionals
- Growing number of electronic systems available for patient use
1. E-prescribing
Prevents loss and misreading of prescriptions
Allows doctor-pharmacy/cist communication (doctors hand writing can only be read by
pharmacist ofc)
2. Electronic Health Records
Information about patient’s helath history: diagnoses, medications, tests, ellergies,
immunizations, treatment plans, etc.
3. Clinical Decision Support (CDS)
Can flag certain diseases based on the sign and symptoms in the HER
Can provide information on treatment protocols
Can alert about drug interactions
4. E-sign-out and hand-off tools
Shift-to-shift “Endorsement”
Fewer omissions to patient info
Reduced hand-off time
5. Barcode Medication Administration
Prevents medication errors: correct patient and correct medication
6. Smart Pumps
IV pumps, equipped with medication-error-prevention software
Alerts nurses if they’ve inserted the wrong IV drug; avoids adverse reactions such as
overdose
7. Automated Medication Dispensing Technology
Provide computer-controlled storage, dispensing, and tracking of medications
Streamlines process of inventory
8. Retained Surgical Items Prevention Technology
RSI: surgical materials left accidentally inside a patient’s body; detection of materials
inside the body
DMC: barcode
RFID system
9. Patient Electronic Portals
Arrange appointments, review diagnostic test results, request refills, talk to clinicians,
access medical records
10. Telemedicine
Doctor-patient communication via phone or landline; accessible when patients are
bedbound or prefers to stay at home due to confidentiality
11. Synchronous Telemedicine
Scheduled appointment or meeting via communicating technology; direct consultation on
phone, landline, or video-chatting
12. Tele-monitoring
Monitoring patients real-time using communicating technology
13. Electronic Incident Reporting
Injuries, illnesses and exposures (hazardous and infectious materials)
Reported with standardized electronic template, so it will be comprehensively reported to
their respective super visors
MAJOR RESEARCH AREAS
Medical/Bioinformatics
o Understanding genome sequence, relating metabolism from genome sequence
Public Health Informatics
o Use of info. science and technology for the promotion of population health (i.e. syndromic
surveillance systems -> early sign of outbreak or bioterrorism attack)
Nursing Informatics
o Electronic charting
Applied Informatics
o Scientific discipline that is concerned with cognitive information processing and communication
tasks of healthcare practice, education and research
HELATH INFORMATICS in the CLOUD
- “Cloud Computing” = delivery of services via internet
- “Cloud-based storage” = remote; for large amounts of files
ADVANTAGES of CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
1. Integrated and efficient patient care
Allows access to multiple users at the same in their respective locations
2. Better Management
Opportunity to identify trends in diseases (e.g. 12% increase of CVDs in a given population for
that year) and crises
DISADVANTAGES of CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
1. Potential risks to personal information
2. Setup seems cumbersome
Migration of records, training of personnel, establishing a team for system maintenance &
troubleshooting
HEALTH INFORMATICS in the PHILIPPINES
- Community Health Information Tracking Systems (CHITS)
An EMR developed through the collaboration of the ICT community and ehalth workers, primarily
designed for use in our country’s health centers in disadvantaged areas
Health worker’s time: patient care > clerical work
