Question 1: Describe and diagram the existing process for reporting and identifying major public health problems, such as a flu pandemic.
The existing or traditional approach to reporting potential public health problems is a manual process reliant on individuals within individual hospitals/medical facilities to identify such potential threats or issues. Physicians or laboratories within the hospital identify any potential health risks and then compile a report on the issue. The identification of the issue/risk is reliant on individual hospitals tracking the volume numbers of patients with similar symptoms. This report is than faxed or posted to the local public health authority. The public health authority, on receipt of the report, will phone the hospital in question for any additional information it requires before it is in a position to make any decisions or taken any relevant preventative measures.
The diagram below outlines the process involved.
Question 2: How does BioSense improve this process? Diagram the process for reporting and identifying public health problems using BioSence.
BioSense is a management information system (M.I.S.), which gathers the relevant data from individual hospital patient information systems in real time. By analysing this data and also passing it onto the Centre for Disease Control’s (CDC) M.I.S., it removes the potential for the long delays associated with the existing manual reporting process and the reliance on human intervention to identify potential health risks. BioSense allows for an organised coordinated and focused approach to managing health information spanning all geographic areas in the U.S. making it possible to manage information which in turn creates better decision making and execution of remedial actions. It also allows for the sharing of information among registered users, which are geographically relevant to each other, so they may identify potential risks or threats to their jurisdiction and take the appropriate/necessary action.
By taking the transactional level patient data at each hospital, BioSense can combine the data from all other hospitals across the U.S., analyse the information in real time and identify potential threat, geographical areas at risk and trends over the long term.
BioSence is a management information system (M.I.S.), which sits on top of each individual hospital’s information system (I.S.). Physician(s) in each hospital enter patient data into their information system. The BioSence management information system extracts the relevant data required such as age, sex, location information, symptoms, medication etc.
middle of paper ... ... Root Cause Analysis in Response to a Sentinel Event. Retrieved on March 2014 from world wide web at http://www.pedsanesthesia.org/meetings/2004winter/pdfs/heitmiller_Sentinel.pdf Orlando Regional Healthcare, Education & Development. (2004). Patient Safety: Preventing Medical Errors.
Introduction “Health informatics is the science that underlies the academic investigation and practical application of computing and communications technology to healthcare, health education and biomedical research” (UofV, 2012). This broad area of inquiry incorporates the design and optimization of information systems that support clinical practice, public health and research; understanding and optimizing the way in which biomedical data and information systems are used for decision-making; and using communications and computing technology to better educate healthcare providers, researchers and consumers. Although there are many benefits of bringing in electronic health systems there are glaring issues that associate with these systems. The
Research shows that when healthcare facilities, care teams, and individual doctors and nurses are aware of infection problems, and take specific steps to prevent them, rates of some targeted HAIs can decrease by more than 70%. Participation in an ongoing system, established for monitoring and consumer reporting of health outcome data, [has resulted in] reduced rates of HAI, improved hospital outcomes, and reduced mortality, overtime. [For example / Studies have reported that,] compared to states with no reporting requirement, those units in states with voluntary reporting systems or with longer periods of mandatory reporting experience had higher infection rates at baseline and/[but] greater reductions in HAIs within six months. [That said / Still,] the challenge remains [however,] that [state legislation / current practices] varies widely regarding which HAIs to measure and report, how the data are collected and analyzed, and the public availability of disclosed
Computers have totally proliferated the world of medicine. They are used to monitor vital signs, to operate artificial hearts and to compile and store medical histories. Though not directly related to our well being, the last use is of utmost importance. Today, the use of medical databases and computer...
Transfer of Information- The problem is remote access of the health records and pooling of large number of data for various purposes like research program and lab work, may lead to an error and confusion.
Unfortunately, the quality of health care in America is flawed. Information technology (IT) offers the potential to address the industry’s most pressing dilemmas: care fragmentation, medical errors, and rising costs. The leading example of this is the electronic health record (EHR). An EHR, as explained by HealthIT.gov (n.d.), is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. It includes, but is not limited to, medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans. The EHR, then, serves as a resource that aids clinicians in decision-making by providing comprehensive patient information.
Quality healthcare in the more rural areas of the United States is not only getting more difficult to obtain, but difficult to afford. American citizens living in rural areas have the highest rates of chronic disease, higher poverty populations, less health insurance, and there is less access to primary care physicians. When the economy is at its lowest point it causes an increase in a number of access and health issues that have already had prior problems in communities and in rural areas, therefore the main goal of the national health care tax of 2010 was to allow coverage to all residents of the United States, and also by transferring necessary health care to places that were farther away, such as the rustic areas of the United States (HealthReform.Gov, 2012).
Currently, we use the electronic health record system called Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (CPSI). CPSI is “a l...
Healthcare Information and Management Systems. (2012). Electronic Health Record . Retrieved March 19, 2012, from HIMSS : http://www.himss.org/ASP/topics_ehr.asp
Tan & Payton (2010) describe the electronic health record (EHR), which dates back to the 1950s. These computer-based patient records have evolved into complex systems with many capabilities. They were designed to provide healthcare professionals with a comprehensive picture of a patient’s health status at any time and are meant to automate and streamline the workflow of the healthcare professional (Tan & Payton,
The use of electronic medical records has both positive and negative impacts on our struggling healthcare system. The positive effects are improved communication among healthcare providers, decrease cost to patient and insurance companies by eliminating repeat diagnostic tests and unnecessary procedures, and improve the health conditions throughout the country by collecting data information. Immunization registries, bio surveillance, and public health can be monitored to improve the “fiscal an...
...occurrences including sentinel events, near misses and serious occurrences; Detail of program activities that the high-risk process components; Results of the high-risk or error-prone processes selected for ongoing measurement and analysis; results of input from patients and families participation in improving patient safety is obtained; report medical/health care errors description of education and training programs that are maintaining and improving employee proficiency and supporting approach to patient care (Ihi.org,2011).
Health care and research are no longer two different paths, but instead because the emphasis on reducing cost and increasing quality outcomes they are converging to make a LHCS. With the introduction of LHCS’s, research and treatment will converge into a new way of managing patient data. Expansion of technology and increased patient involvement in their health care will continue to create the need to reassess what privacy and confidentiality look like to the patient, researcher, practitioner, health plan and other business
Biosecurity, on the other hand, is most commonly used to refer to mechanisms to establish and maintain the security and oversight of pathogenic microorganisms, toxins and relevant resources. The biosafety program ensures the competency of the laboratory staff in safely performing their job through training and documentation of technical expertise. The laboratory staff must manifest professional responsibility for the management of research materials, complying with appropriate materials management procedures. A hallmark of biosafety practices requires laboratory access to be limited to essential personnel only when work with biological agents is in progress.