HEALTH INFORMATICS NOW!

Nelson O. Walker IIIHCA496 Health Informatics Capstone Instructor: Catherine DoughtyDate: 03/24/2014

IntroductionHello Everyone,

My name is Nelson Walker and I will be graduating in March with a Bachelor of Arts in Health Informatics from Ashford University. I currently reside in Atlanta but I am originally from Macon, a smaller city in Central Georgia. I work for Sprint as an Enterprise Business Account Specialist. At Sprint I am also affiliated with our emerging products and solutions sales teams. One of the most interesting aspects of our emerging products solutions is the production and release of wireless technologies utilized in health care. My goal is to hopefully utilize my degree to branch into an innovative and specialized position bridging wireless technology and health information systems.

In the enterprise sector, I utilize my communication skills and professional work experiences to effectively execute protocol that resolves client concerns and gain positive results. I have learned a great deal from the health informatics courses I have taken at Ashford University.  In particular, the Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Care has helped me understand the importance of ethics and how it drives important business decisions related to EMR implementation and the use of telecommunications to spur the continuity and delivery of quality health care.  

The content of my program of study has modified my way of interacting with people and identifying opportunities for business process development. I hope to gain further understanding of the technological aspects of Health Informatics and be better prepared and comfortable with communicating with IT representatives and HIM professionals.

Blog Topics

Legal and ethical aspects of health information management .

Telecommunications and networking concepts for health care .

The impact on the electronic medical records integration.

Addressing the topics

To address my chosen topics I will utilize scholarly peer reviewed articles. Additionally I will review information and data from nationally recognized health care related groups and organizations such as The Department of Health and Human Services and Health Informatics Forum. I will also utilize books from the Ashford University library.

Discussion When a patient’s legal protections are violated the result is usually

a lawsuit which is dependent upon an established relationship between the patient and the provider. The process of ethical reasoning helps the HIM professional address legal and ethical challenges.

The real work of networking professionals is the administration of ongoing networks . This concept is the root of the present challenges faced by health care organizations seeking to implement new information systems. Telecommunications has revolutionized the way we utilize smart mobile devices in health care however, newer strategies will help close the gaps between what the health provider needs and what the current network can provide

Investment in clinical information systems allow for better coordinated patient care. As organizations move into new healthcare environments such as these investments become even more important. Additionally, there is an improvement in patient safety and the quality of healthcare. The implementation of EMR technology increases the value of patient data which translates into to meaningful health information. The EMR organizes patient data making it quickly accessible and easily available.

OUTLINE

I. Legal and ethical aspects of health information managementA. Role of the HIM professional B. Confidentiality and Privacy C. Tort law

II. Telecommunications and networking concepts for health care A. Policy B. Network security

III. The impact of the electronic medical records integrationA. Barriers to adoption and implementation B. Benefits to the health care system C. Meaningful use standards