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E-HealthE-Health

Source:Source:

Information Systems for Healthcare Management, 6th Information Systems for Healthcare Management, 6th Edition Edition

Authors: Charles J. Austin and Stuart B. BoxermanAuthors: Charles J. Austin and Stuart B. Boxerman

Health Administration Press © 2003 Health Administration Press © 2003

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Possible Definition of E-Possible Definition of E-HealthHealth““E-health is an emerging field in the intersection E-health is an emerging field in the intersection

of medical informatics, public health and of medical informatics, public health and business referring to health services and business referring to health services and information delivered or enhanced through information delivered or enhanced through the Internet and related technologies. In a the Internet and related technologies. In a broader sense, the term characterizes not broader sense, the term characterizes not only a technical development, but also a only a technical development, but also a state-of-mind, a way of thinking, an attitude, state-of-mind, a way of thinking, an attitude, and a commitment for networked global and a commitment for networked global thinking, to improve health care locally, thinking, to improve health care locally, regionally, and worldwide by using regionally, and worldwide by using information and communication technology” information and communication technology” (Eysenbach 2001) (Eysenbach 2001)

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Goals of E-HealthGoals of E-Health

• Increased efficiency in healthcareIncreased efficiency in healthcare

• Improved quality of careImproved quality of care

• Increased commitment to evidence-based medicineIncreased commitment to evidence-based medicine

• Empowerment of patients and consumersEmpowerment of patients and consumers

• Development of new relationships between patients and Development of new relationships between patients and health professionals (Eysenbach 2001).health professionals (Eysenbach 2001).

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Stakeholders Driving E-HealthStakeholders Driving E-Health

• PatientsPatients want information about their own health. want information about their own health.

• Health ProvidersHealth Providers want to save time and money and want to save time and money and streamline communication with multiple health plans. streamline communication with multiple health plans.

• EmployersEmployers want to be able to analyze health-plans want to be able to analyze health-plans costs and utilization by their employees. costs and utilization by their employees.

• Health plansHealth plans want to strengthen relations with want to strengthen relations with members and health providers and reduce costs of members and health providers and reduce costs of doing business doing business

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E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications

• E-businessE-business– E-procurement, electronic claims processing, and, E-procurement, electronic claims processing, and,

consumer e-businessconsumer e-business

• Marketing and consumer informationMarketing and consumer information– Advertising, and, consumer health informationAdvertising, and, consumer health information

• Organizational management and communicationsOrganizational management and communications– Distributing organizational information, education and Distributing organizational information, education and

training, employee recruiting, and, administrative training, employee recruiting, and, administrative operationsoperations

• Clinical and customer service support Clinical and customer service support – Patient access to medical information, patient-physician Patient access to medical information, patient-physician

interaction, and other clinical applicationsinteraction, and other clinical applications

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E-Health Applications E-Health Applications E-businessE-business

E-ProcurementE-Procurement

• Online order processing between healthcare Online order processing between healthcare organizations and suppliers. organizations and suppliers.

• Vendor web sites provide access to catalogs of Vendor web sites provide access to catalogs of supplies and materials and permit online order supplies and materials and permit online order placement and payment.placement and payment.

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E-Health Applications E-Health Applications

E-businessE-business Electronic Claims ProcessingElectronic Claims Processing

• The Internet is being used by healthcare The Internet is being used by healthcare providers to obtain:providers to obtain:– eligibility informationeligibility information– advanced authorization from insurance advanced authorization from insurance

companies and health plans for services companies and health plans for services provided to patients. provided to patients.

– insurance claims processing, thereby insurance claims processing, thereby improving cash flow and accounts receivable.improving cash flow and accounts receivable.

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E-Health Applications E-Health Applications

E-businessE-business Consumer E-BusinessConsumer E-Business

• Direct purchase of items such as:Direct purchase of items such as:– prescription drugs, and,prescription drugs, and,– health insurance. health insurance.

• Services such as:Services such as:– Drug pricesDrug prices– Drug-interaction checkingDrug-interaction checking– Insurance verificationInsurance verification– Maintenance of individual pharmacy recordsMaintenance of individual pharmacy records

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• Attract new patients, and,Attract new patients, and,

• Provide information to existing patients. Provide information to existing patients.

E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications Marketing and Consumer Information Marketing and Consumer Information

ApplicationsApplications

AdvertisingAdvertising

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E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications Marketing and Consumer Information Marketing and Consumer Information

ApplicationsApplicationsConsumer Health InformationConsumer Health Information

• Health promotion and wellness information. Health promotion and wellness information.

• Disease informationDisease information

• Alternative medicineAlternative medicine

• Health professionals and facilitiesHealth professionals and facilities

• Medical dictionaries Medical dictionaries

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• Intranets are used to post and communicate Intranets are used to post and communicate organizational policies, procedures, and organizational policies, procedures, and announcements to employees.announcements to employees.

• Publish internal newsletters.Publish internal newsletters.• Distribute standard forms used within the Distribute standard forms used within the

organization.organization.

E-Health Applications E-Health Applications Organizational Management and Communications Organizational Management and Communications ApplicationsApplications

Distributing Organizational InformationDistributing Organizational Information

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• Staff educational programsStaff educational programs

• Teleconferences to employees and physiciansTeleconferences to employees and physicians

• Health education programs to patientsHealth education programs to patients

• ConferencesConferences

E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications Organizational Management and Communications Organizational Management and Communications ApplicationsApplications

Education and TrainingEducation and Training

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E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications Organizational Management and Communications Organizational Management and Communications ApplicationsApplications

Employee RecruitingEmployee Recruiting

• Job announcementsJob announcements

• Position openings Position openings

• Employee benefit programs Employee benefit programs

• Job application deliveryJob application delivery

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E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications Organizational Management and Communications Organizational Management and Communications ApplicationsApplications

Administrative OperationsAdministrative Operations

• Human Resource ManagementHuman Resource Management

• AccountingAccounting

• InventoryInventory

• BillingBilling

• Etc.Etc.

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E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications Clinical and Customer Service ApplicationsClinical and Customer Service Applications

Patient Access to Medical InformationPatient Access to Medical Information

Patients are more eager to investigate their own ills Patients are more eager to investigate their own ills (information wise) and to be able to lookup their (information wise) and to be able to lookup their own clinical and diagnostic results.own clinical and diagnostic results.

• Personal health records of patientsPersonal health records of patients

• Online health risk assessment toolsOnline health risk assessment tools

• Online messaging and scheduling capabilitiesOnline messaging and scheduling capabilities

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E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications Clinical and Customer Service ApplicationsClinical and Customer Service Applications

Patient-Physician InteractionPatient-Physician Interaction

Patients have been empowered by the Internet by easily Patients have been empowered by the Internet by easily finding health-related information. Physicians need to finding health-related information. Physicians need to deal properly with the fact that patients these days are deal properly with the fact that patients these days are more “health-informed” as a result of the internet.more “health-informed” as a result of the internet.

• Increased patient desire for E-mail communicationsIncreased patient desire for E-mail communications

• Automated home monitoring of patients by physiciansAutomated home monitoring of patients by physicians

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E-Health ApplicationsE-Health Applications Clinical and Customer Service ApplicationsClinical and Customer Service Applications

Other Clinical ApplicationsOther Clinical Applications

• Clinical decision support systems can provide:Clinical decision support systems can provide:– Real-time alertsReal-time alerts– WarningsWarnings– Screening capabilitiesScreening capabilities– Access to reference materials by physiciansAccess to reference materials by physicians