As I was catching up on Dr. Halamka's blog, I ran across an entry on drug interaction alert databases. Here's the link to his entry.
http://geekdoctor.blogspot.com/2008/04/decision-support-for-inpatient-systems.html
Dr. John Halamka is a physician CIO at Harvard Medical School.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
JCAHO's Little Friend
Hill-Rom has launched a product called NaviCare WatchChild Solution that was developed by clinicians. The features of this device includes fetal/maternal surveillance and clinical documentation. The system has HL7 interfacing capabilities which allow it to communicate with other hospital IT systems such as admissions, lab services, and pharmacy.
JCAHO - Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations - or The Joint Commission, for short has a standard of National Patient Safety Goals for hospitals to abide by. The NaviCare WatchChild seems to be completely in tuned to those standards. WatchChild is able to provide a patient status report at "handoff." JCAHO has strict guidelines on what information must be passed on when the patient is "handed off" to another caregiver, i.e. nurse shift change, patient going to lab. When a machine provides this information, that it itself has collected it minimizes the opportunity for errors to occur and this is what JCAHO aims for.
Because the device collects a myriad of information during the delivery of the baby, nurses and doctors can concentrate on providing care to the mother-to-be rather than charting. The system also archives this data in case of future malpractice lawsuits. Active documentation by the caregivers is minimized.
This is the benefit of having the end-users develop products - they know what they want and need, what features aides them in being effective and efficient. When developing IT solutions in any organization, I think it is crucial to have end-users provide their input...also makes change management less of a struggle.
JCAHO - Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations - or The Joint Commission, for short has a standard of National Patient Safety Goals for hospitals to abide by. The NaviCare WatchChild seems to be completely in tuned to those standards. WatchChild is able to provide a patient status report at "handoff." JCAHO has strict guidelines on what information must be passed on when the patient is "handed off" to another caregiver, i.e. nurse shift change, patient going to lab. When a machine provides this information, that it itself has collected it minimizes the opportunity for errors to occur and this is what JCAHO aims for.
Because the device collects a myriad of information during the delivery of the baby, nurses and doctors can concentrate on providing care to the mother-to-be rather than charting. The system also archives this data in case of future malpractice lawsuits. Active documentation by the caregivers is minimized.
This is the benefit of having the end-users develop products - they know what they want and need, what features aides them in being effective and efficient. When developing IT solutions in any organization, I think it is crucial to have end-users provide their input...also makes change management less of a struggle.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A Cure for Bedside Boredom?
This little gadget (well, let's not undermine the thing as it probably costs the hospital an arm and a leg) may be the solution to making a hospital stay a pleasurable experience.
Let's talk about the features that Lincor, the developer, has installed into the MEDIVista. Basically, it is a touchscreen LCD display that provides entertainment, information and education services to the patient. It allows patient care to be an interactive and involved experience for the patient as the doctor can use the display to show x-ray films or other relevant medical information that the patient should be knowledgeable about.
The "cool" features allow bored patients to watch IPTV, listen to radio or audio books, manage their diet, take interactive surveys, make VoIP calls, browse the internet (do not fret, the system logs all activities), check e-mail, as well as play web and network based games.
Just think about the impact it will have on the hospital. As patients keep themselves entertained, they will be less likely to preoccupy themselves with the pain and ailing. Which then leads to freeing up nurses to do more charting! And we know that would make medical records personnel happy too. Even the patient's employer will be happy to know that the employee has access to e-mail during the hospital stay and will not lose productivity! (Stress level of patient just went up).
Let's talk about the features that Lincor, the developer, has installed into the MEDIVista. Basically, it is a touchscreen LCD display that provides entertainment, information and education services to the patient. It allows patient care to be an interactive and involved experience for the patient as the doctor can use the display to show x-ray films or other relevant medical information that the patient should be knowledgeable about.
The "cool" features allow bored patients to watch IPTV, listen to radio or audio books, manage their diet, take interactive surveys, make VoIP calls, browse the internet (do not fret, the system logs all activities), check e-mail, as well as play web and network based games.
Just think about the impact it will have on the hospital. As patients keep themselves entertained, they will be less likely to preoccupy themselves with the pain and ailing. Which then leads to freeing up nurses to do more charting! And we know that would make medical records personnel happy too. Even the patient's employer will be happy to know that the employee has access to e-mail during the hospital stay and will not lose productivity! (Stress level of patient just went up).
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Doc, what's your take?
I admit it, I've been bad.
I did a bit of leisure reading, when we all know that I should be focusing on wrapping up the last several weeks of my undergraduate career. I read Treatment Kind and Fair, Letters to a Young Doctor by Dr. Perri Klass. This book is a compliation of stories and experiences from a doctor mother to her medical student son. It was written to help him keep focused on instrinic rewards of serving as a doctor.
One particular story that I personally liked:
Dr. Klass laid out a scenario where a homeless man went into a clinic with gastrointestinal issues. Unable to afford prescription drugs, the man asked the doctor in the clinic to provide him with samples. Well, to keep it short, the problem had to do with drug interactions and keep medical records.
Someone should develop a database of drugs and possible harmful interactions within electronic medical records programs! How genius would that be?! (Or did someone already do that?)
However, she asks if there were such a cautionary step, how many doctors would have the time to take advantage of that? Most doctors finish up charting after the patient has left the office, which means the patient is already out filling the prescription or taking the first dose of his sample (in which case, the doctor cannot contact the pharmacist).
She suggests this solution: "Get the clinic to use an appropriate and well-constructed electronic medical record program, without too many clicks or obstacles, train the doctors to use it properly and promptly, and do away with the drug samples. Along the way, we'd like to push for smarter doctors."
Easier said than done, Doc.
But apparently, simplicity and efficiency is key. With all the chaos that goes on in a day's work at the hospital, doctors need simplicity, not another complicated system.
Sounds like an exciting opportunity, no?
I did a bit of leisure reading, when we all know that I should be focusing on wrapping up the last several weeks of my undergraduate career. I read Treatment Kind and Fair, Letters to a Young Doctor by Dr. Perri Klass. This book is a compliation of stories and experiences from a doctor mother to her medical student son. It was written to help him keep focused on instrinic rewards of serving as a doctor.
One particular story that I personally liked:
Dr. Klass laid out a scenario where a homeless man went into a clinic with gastrointestinal issues. Unable to afford prescription drugs, the man asked the doctor in the clinic to provide him with samples. Well, to keep it short, the problem had to do with drug interactions and keep medical records.
Someone should develop a database of drugs and possible harmful interactions within electronic medical records programs! How genius would that be?! (Or did someone already do that?)
However, she asks if there were such a cautionary step, how many doctors would have the time to take advantage of that? Most doctors finish up charting after the patient has left the office, which means the patient is already out filling the prescription or taking the first dose of his sample (in which case, the doctor cannot contact the pharmacist).
She suggests this solution: "Get the clinic to use an appropriate and well-constructed electronic medical record program, without too many clicks or obstacles, train the doctors to use it properly and promptly, and do away with the drug samples. Along the way, we'd like to push for smarter doctors."
Easier said than done, Doc.
But apparently, simplicity and efficiency is key. With all the chaos that goes on in a day's work at the hospital, doctors need simplicity, not another complicated system.
Sounds like an exciting opportunity, no?
Monday, April 7, 2008
The Other Side
After quite a hiatus, I am back to writing! In the last few weeks, I have learned about the other side. Instead of thinking like a techie trying to improve hospitals, I had the chance to see the doctors' and the patients' view of the impact of technology in the medical field.
Over the break, I had the chance to attend a short lecture given by Dr. Abraham Verghese titled "Touching Where It Hurts: Bedside Medicine in a Technological Age." This lecture's intended audience was fourth-year medical students, but was open to the public.
[A little secret: I am absolutely fascinated with the medical field and in my next life I am going to be a doctor.] With that said, I found Dr. Verghese's message quite inspirational. So what was the point of his lecture? He wanted to tell students to remember compassion when at the bedside. The main idea is to not become reliant on the technologies of today and to treat patients as if you were in a third world country where these machines are not available. Use instincts, acquired knowledge, and your hands as your first resources. Patients will appreciate this.
He recounted a story about his friend who had breast cancer. During an examination, her doctor did not once touch her chest with her hands and instead, relied on a mammogram reading. Thinking this was quite impersonal, she immediately switched doctors.
See, a visit with the doctor is a very personal thing and a patient wants to know that the doctor is listening and that they care. This is quite difficult when the doctor is staring at a computer screen typing up notes or when he/she is throwing the patient at some new machine. So how is the EMR/EHR going to effect patient care? This is food for thought.
Over the break, I had the chance to attend a short lecture given by Dr. Abraham Verghese titled "Touching Where It Hurts: Bedside Medicine in a Technological Age." This lecture's intended audience was fourth-year medical students, but was open to the public.
[A little secret: I am absolutely fascinated with the medical field and in my next life I am going to be a doctor.] With that said, I found Dr. Verghese's message quite inspirational. So what was the point of his lecture? He wanted to tell students to remember compassion when at the bedside. The main idea is to not become reliant on the technologies of today and to treat patients as if you were in a third world country where these machines are not available. Use instincts, acquired knowledge, and your hands as your first resources. Patients will appreciate this.
He recounted a story about his friend who had breast cancer. During an examination, her doctor did not once touch her chest with her hands and instead, relied on a mammogram reading. Thinking this was quite impersonal, she immediately switched doctors.
See, a visit with the doctor is a very personal thing and a patient wants to know that the doctor is listening and that they care. This is quite difficult when the doctor is staring at a computer screen typing up notes or when he/she is throwing the patient at some new machine. So how is the EMR/EHR going to effect patient care? This is food for thought.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Under the Weather
I have fallen victim to the germs. =/ No amount of hand washing and avoiding sick people could have saved me from this. =/
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Lack of Recruitment
At this point, I am beginning to rethink my career aspirations. I'm wondering if becoming a recruiter for healthcare IT is a better option.
When does the law of supply and demand apply? I understand that there is a shortage of professionals in healthcare IT. I read an article on MSN last week that there is considerable lack of women in the IT field.
I am absolutely dying to get into healthcare IT. I believe that I have a lot to contribute to the field because I am so passionate about realizing changes in the hospital setting. And the last I checked, I am a female. So why is it so difficult for me to find opportunities?
I was presented with an opportunity at Perot Systems, but there is a huge catch. After the three-month training program called Healthcare Academy, I am to be relocated to any of their accounts in the United States where I can start my career as a healthcare business systems analyst. hmm...
I'm waiting to see the contract. Is there room for salary growth? Seeing how there is a demand in the field, I'm thinking that the salary is on the lower end of the spectrum. How long do I have to commit to the location? The only thing that isn't allowing me to let go of this opportunity is the training program. Where else can I learn everything about healthcare IT? Pretty much nowhere.
I'm stuck.
Meanwhile, I'm scouring the career pages at various hospital and healthcare system websites.
Wish me luck!! =)
When does the law of supply and demand apply? I understand that there is a shortage of professionals in healthcare IT. I read an article on MSN last week that there is considerable lack of women in the IT field.
I am absolutely dying to get into healthcare IT. I believe that I have a lot to contribute to the field because I am so passionate about realizing changes in the hospital setting. And the last I checked, I am a female. So why is it so difficult for me to find opportunities?
I was presented with an opportunity at Perot Systems, but there is a huge catch. After the three-month training program called Healthcare Academy, I am to be relocated to any of their accounts in the United States where I can start my career as a healthcare business systems analyst. hmm...
I'm waiting to see the contract. Is there room for salary growth? Seeing how there is a demand in the field, I'm thinking that the salary is on the lower end of the spectrum. How long do I have to commit to the location? The only thing that isn't allowing me to let go of this opportunity is the training program. Where else can I learn everything about healthcare IT? Pretty much nowhere.
I'm stuck.
Meanwhile, I'm scouring the career pages at various hospital and healthcare system websites.
Wish me luck!! =)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Frustration
I wonder if I am taking the wrong approach with the job search thing. What is with the lack of information that is available to those seeking a career in healthcare IT?
I am so confused. I must gather more details about this "opportunity" that was presented to me. =/
I am so confused. I must gather more details about this "opportunity" that was presented to me. =/
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mumbo Jumbo of Acronyms
Without the use of acronyms, our brains would overheat and crash trying to memorize a complex group of words.
However, the same effect takes places when we try to recollect what each letter stands for, especially if the same letter represents a different word!
On Wednesday, my boss left me a list of projects that he would like for me to oversee and make my own. He had already left for the day when I came in after class. All I saw were a jumble of acronyms. Frightened, I was. Let's consider "PACS"...now, I know what PACU stands for...Post-Anesthetic Care Unit. But, how was I to know that PACS is an acronym for Picture Archiving and Communication Systems?!
Luckily, I was leisurely reading "Healthcare Informatics" when I came home later that day. Lo and behold! I found an article in the table of contents titled "PACS Centralization" Quickly, I turned to page 64 and scanned the first few paragraphs and found out. You would laugh if you saw the excited expression on my face as I sat alone in my apartment reading a trade magazine.
This weekend I saw a copy of Health Data Management magazine and the cover story is titled "The Value of Speaking the Same Language." (Isn't it simply fabulous how these articles fall into my hands when I need them most?) I absolutely adore the cover art for the magazine, so as soon as I find my camera, I will take a picture and upload it.
The article starts off like this...
"What in the world is the difference between an 'electronic medical record,' [EMR] 'electronic health record' [EHR] and 'personal health record' [PHR]? What's the difference between a 'regional health information organization' [RHIO] and a 'health information exchange' [HIE]?"
Did you know that the Department of Health and Human Services funds two work groups that are working to standardize the use of these words within the industry? RHIOs and HIEs are being handled by the Networks Work Group. The Records Work Group is working on the EMRs, EHRs and PHRs. The name of the work groups gives you a clue to what each deals with.
The article goes on to talk about how industry professionals use these acronyms interchangeably, depending on their audience and how diverse they want to be perceived as. There are legal issues as well. Federal and state I.T. grants are available to healthcare organization and they use these terms. But if everyone uses them interchangeably, who really knows what is being funded and what is being rejected?
All of this is so complex and confusing...I wish I were a part of those workgroups. I think it would be fascinating to come to a conclusion and set a standard definition for these acronyms. Once these terms are clearly defined, the nation can take a leap towards a national database of EHRs which includes every little detail about every little incident at every hospital and doctor's office visits in person's medical history.
Isn't that amazing? Imagine the upgrade in the quality of service you will receive at your next office or emergency room visit. You wouldn't have to bother listing off all your allergies to medication and history of operations with your broken wrist proving itself useless.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Interesting Little Tidbits
With all the excitement of my car breaking down (for the first time), Valentine's Day, and starting my internship, I have not had the chance to research too much this week.
However, I do have a couple of interesting tidbits to share.
While touring the Emergency Department (ED) at the hospital, I noticed a flashy big screen tv mounted near the nurses' station. The television served as a high-tech monitor for MedHost. If you would like a glimpse of what it looks like, please follow this link: MedHost Screenshot. The icons by surrounding the patient beds indicate the status of lab results, medications, and vitals. This software is amazing as it serves as a visual reminder for nurses.
As I spoke with my boss, I finally understood the structure of healthcare IT. Most large hospitals outsource IT to consulting firms. The hospitals and consulting firms draw a long-term contract and the consultants work in-house at the site. Did you know that all of the technological equipment are owned by the consulting firms and are rented out to the hospital? Everything from the servers, computers, kiosks to the keyboard and mouse are rented to the hospital! I found this to be quite fascinating.
Well, that's all I have to share for now. Please check back next week!
However, I do have a couple of interesting tidbits to share.
While touring the Emergency Department (ED) at the hospital, I noticed a flashy big screen tv mounted near the nurses' station. The television served as a high-tech monitor for MedHost. If you would like a glimpse of what it looks like, please follow this link: MedHost Screenshot. The icons by surrounding the patient beds indicate the status of lab results, medications, and vitals. This software is amazing as it serves as a visual reminder for nurses.
As I spoke with my boss, I finally understood the structure of healthcare IT. Most large hospitals outsource IT to consulting firms. The hospitals and consulting firms draw a long-term contract and the consultants work in-house at the site. Did you know that all of the technological equipment are owned by the consulting firms and are rented out to the hospital? Everything from the servers, computers, kiosks to the keyboard and mouse are rented to the hospital! I found this to be quite fascinating.
Well, that's all I have to share for now. Please check back next week!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The Introduction Entry
My name is Sally, and I am a graduating senior at USC's Marshall School of Business. In May I will receive my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems. My interests will let you know that I am a true geek at heart. Though I am not exceptionally good at anything, I like to take a stab at everything.
My current hobbies include flag football, golf, reading celebrity gossip, trying new recipes, going to musicals, playing Rock Band and Madden '08. Now, I know this is quite embarrassing, but my database management class is taking over my life. Last week, I was scrolling through my iPod and I started thinking about the conceptual diagram of the database I could create. I became giddy as I was thinking about the cardinalities, entities and attributes.
My true passion lies in hospitals. Don't worry; it's not a morbid obsession. I just find it fascinating how hospitals keep it together through the day's chaotic operations (forgive the pun). What is more amazing is how behind the times they are. Utilizing the technology that is available today would allow hospital to operate more efficiently and effortlessly. The future of healthcare administration lies in technology.
Yesterday, I began my internship at a hospital. I consider myself fortunate because I am working directly with the CIO, who was a guest speaker in my Information Systems Design and Analysis class last semester. Opportunities at hospitals are hard to come by, mainly because hospitals do not participate in on-campus recruitment. The lack of effort on their part makes eager students, like myself, believe that they don't need us. Surprisingly enough, hospitals are in dire need of geeks, not just doctor geeks, but IT nerds too. If you are interested in healthcare IT, you should take the initiative and reach out to hospital administrators and offer yourself to them. Hospital staffs don't have the time to reach out to you. They are busy keeping the hospital in operation.
Just think about the difference you could make in a healthcare environment! As the use of technology increases, bedside care should be less stressful to the nurses who handle a handful of patients suffering from a variety of ailments. This would in turn decrease the number of human errors that occur due to high case loads and stress. Also, as hospitals are attempting to make the transition into becoming paperless organizations, the need for IT professionals is extremely high.
In this blog I will talk about my experiences at my internship, current trends in healthcare IT and anything else I find interesting about the future of hospitals and healthcare IT.
My current hobbies include flag football, golf, reading celebrity gossip, trying new recipes, going to musicals, playing Rock Band and Madden '08. Now, I know this is quite embarrassing, but my database management class is taking over my life. Last week, I was scrolling through my iPod and I started thinking about the conceptual diagram of the database I could create. I became giddy as I was thinking about the cardinalities, entities and attributes.
My true passion lies in hospitals. Don't worry; it's not a morbid obsession. I just find it fascinating how hospitals keep it together through the day's chaotic operations (forgive the pun). What is more amazing is how behind the times they are. Utilizing the technology that is available today would allow hospital to operate more efficiently and effortlessly. The future of healthcare administration lies in technology.
Yesterday, I began my internship at a hospital. I consider myself fortunate because I am working directly with the CIO, who was a guest speaker in my Information Systems Design and Analysis class last semester. Opportunities at hospitals are hard to come by, mainly because hospitals do not participate in on-campus recruitment. The lack of effort on their part makes eager students, like myself, believe that they don't need us. Surprisingly enough, hospitals are in dire need of geeks, not just doctor geeks, but IT nerds too. If you are interested in healthcare IT, you should take the initiative and reach out to hospital administrators and offer yourself to them. Hospital staffs don't have the time to reach out to you. They are busy keeping the hospital in operation.
Just think about the difference you could make in a healthcare environment! As the use of technology increases, bedside care should be less stressful to the nurses who handle a handful of patients suffering from a variety of ailments. This would in turn decrease the number of human errors that occur due to high case loads and stress. Also, as hospitals are attempting to make the transition into becoming paperless organizations, the need for IT professionals is extremely high.
In this blog I will talk about my experiences at my internship, current trends in healthcare IT and anything else I find interesting about the future of hospitals and healthcare IT.
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