Research Paper Example on Patients: Owners of Their Health Records?

Introduction

Many have argued that information should belong to the patient and that they are at liberty of deciding what data is recorded and how they can access it. But some physicians believe that they are the ones who have unfettered access to any information concerning patients. In my view, patients have the mandate to access any personal information in their health records, because controlling their health information has dire consequences (Cantiello & Abdul, 2016). Due to this, it is therefore important for health care facilities to use the improved health information technology tools to help in integrating the complex information for the sole purpose of improving the needs and the patient's experience. Most of the health institutions, more so Villa health Independence Medical Center have been using electronic health records that have been defective in providing the required patient information.

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To ensure proper implementation of HIM, Villa Health Independence Medical Center health must, therefore, hire a qualified HIM – Supervisor, who will be in charge of monitoring the day to day functionalities of the EHR, he/she will also ensure that the EHR technology can connect with our systems to provide smooth facilitation of health information (Haqq, 2019). This is because Villa Health Independence Medical center is currently using a system that is inoperable with the EHR system called the "Opus." This has hence been a big problem to both the management and the leadership of the Independence Medical Center in the implementation of health information technology.

Statement of the Problem

For a period now (HIM) Health Information Management has been complex in most healthcare institutions. Most of Health institutions are faced with several EHR deficiencies that ought to be corrected. Healthcare Institutions thus require proper and improved management systems that can improve the organization's performance. Health care systems like Vilas health organizations require well-trained personnel to implement the HIM technology in each phase up to the end-user. Therefore, health care institutions must ensure that health information management technology is in compliance with the regulations and must employ the use of appropriate Electronic Health Records. Most healthcare institutions use the current EHR that does not meet the required industrial expectations because it lacks interoperability with other systems used in an organization, thus posing unwarranted issues that may result in unwanted consequences. Therefore, Vila health organizations must enhance the use of improved health management systems, particularly the use of improved EHR to help the organization meet future needs, including reducing expenditure.

Significance of the Study

One way of improving the quality of care, processing of data, and improved patient outcomes is by using an improved EHR that works and coordinates well with other systems used by Vila Health. Thus, the study will help the management and the leadership of the Independence Medical Center to understand the benefit of using improved health information management technology. Studies have shown that health institutions that use the improved HIM have been major strides in the centralization and processing of the strides of patient information. The study will also help the management of Villa Health consider investing in a system that would allow the leadership to manage other healthcare sectors that include the supporting staff, staff, and the Supply chain. This would thus increase efficiency and effectiveness in the functionality and an improved financial health system of the Independence Medical Center. The study will also help Villa Health understand the importance of hiring trained employees; this will help the staff to understand the meaningful use of improved or new EHR systems.

Research Objectives

The main research objective of the research study will be to examine the different methods of improving data collection and analysis using Vilas Health's current HIM system.

Specific Objectives

1. To determine the key stakeholders and decision-makers that demonstrate the significant influence on the organization
2. To align EHR components with the Vilas Health strategic goals
3. To identify every data category required to drive decision-making and improve the organization's performance for the implementation of the Vilas Health HIM system.
4. To assess and examine the impact of improved health information management system in the organization.

Research Questions

1. Who are the key stakeholders and the decision-makers in the organization?
2. What are the best data practices for the Vila's health HIM systems?
3. How can data be used to improve the patient's experience and expand the predictive modeling health?
4. What is the impact of improved health management system in the organization?

Literature Review

This section provides an outline of the information that is related to the topic of the research. It includes information that is has been researched on the improved use of human information management systems.

Electronic Health Record System

The EHRS is a compliance process set for business associates and other entities so we can use it to protect Heath information as it has been prescribed by the health Insurance accountability and portability ACT. It has legal jargon, which is defined as keeping the individual's health information private. Health information should be protected because we have proper and improper use of the information. Health professionals can positively use health information to understand the patient's health history and come up with the right treatment plan for the patient (Moncada, 2016). Any individual who wants to understand the patient's history and use it to steal from the patient or expose the patient to the public can negatively use the information. The patient's information can also be de-identified by ensuring that the patient's information is deleted from the system, and other clouds, especially after the health institution feels that they do not need the info anymore. The patient feels like it should be de-identified. (Moore & Fyre 2019) The patient's information should be disclosed in a proper process, which should also involve the patient and the medical officer in charge.

Electronic Health Records Evolution

For many years now, EHRs have undergone a rapid transformation like any other technology. The evolution has significantly been accelerated since the enactment of the HITECH Act in January 2009. The change in ERH has not been due to technological advancement but has also been facilitated by other factors such as business drivers, legal requirements, and care programs. The changes in EHR can be attributed to four major technological changes: the advent of mainframe computers, mini and personal computers, the internet, and the modern health care environment that incorporates the use of microprocessors (Evans, 2016). Studies reveal that while many systems continued to exploit the new technological advancement in both hardware and software the proliferation of Electronic Health Records among the many providers did not exploit the opportunity, this because each medical facility or hospital had its way of practicing medicine which enhanced the customization of Electronic Health Records per the hospital or patient's needs.

The results were that the EHR could no longer be used because most of them were not interoperable, affordable, and standardized. It was not until when HITECH introduced a huge market disruption that brought Medicaid and Medicare into the equation. Medicare and Medicaid provided various patients incentives into the systems. These incentives were designed to promote and encourage medical centers and physicians to become smart buyers of the new EHR systems. HITECH required the new EHR to interoperate with other devices, to have automated reminders and alerts, to have the capability or data mining, to be consistent and possess robust measurement capabilities, and to be able to perform public health reporting.

Alignment of Data Products and Outcomes with the Organizations Goals

Based on the recommendations, HIT helps hospitals, organizations, and health systems improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and yield better patient care results. However, some of the activities that involve meeting meaningful use may be challenging and costly. This because most of the organizations align address the implementation of HIM systems as "enterprise-wide efforts." Information technology plays and continues to play a critical role in the health care industry. Improved health information management system has led to improved quality in services delivery, efficiency in operation, patient care, and satisfaction (Spencer, 2017). The success of the implementation of the health information management system can be attributed to the term alignment. I.e., an organization may align its mission or a strategic plan with the patient's needs and align its technology with the organization's strategic plan. An organization's failure to align the IS (Information Systems) with its strategies may lead to a waste of resources, loss of opportunities, and consequently unfavorable performance. The health information management system's alignment in the healthcare sector is very critical since it highly contributes to the success of many healthcare organizations.

The Impact of the Changes of Organizations HIM Systems

As discussed, the health care information management systems have changed and have continued to change. The changes have offered unique benefits and opportunities to the organization, management, staff, and patients. The health care management system has been praised for its ability to reduce costs, improve the quality of patient's medical care, increase legibility, and reduce medical errors. Studies have revealed that the implementation of improved HIM systems has a significant likelihood of cost-saving in the long run. This will consequently help the organization generate profits due to the safety of medical deliveries, efficiencies, and cost-effectiveness (Al Shobaki & Naser, 2017). The new, improved EHR will also reduce the expenses associated with record-keeping while also improving the workflows, billing, and meeting the required privacy regulation standards. It is estimated that the implementation of the new EHR will reduce medical errors by 50%; this will be due to increased legibility in healthcare services. This reduction of medical errors will certainly lead to quality health care. The improved HIM systems' implementation will ensure accurate, well-structured, and complete documentation of data increased and improved support decision making, improved predictive model, and direct access to an agent and instant updates.

Data Analysis Trends in the Health Care Organizations

Data collection, storage, and analysis are significantly playing an essential role in the health care sector. The growth of the health care sector has increased the urge to develop improved applications to enhance and promote patient experience, thus increasing the efficacy and efficiency in the organization. The increased health care information system has enabled most health care organizations to store their data online. Even though this provides some benefits for the patient, it is prone to data loss due to online threats that include hacking, since most of the health care organizations are still faced with the challenge of information governance and protection. The contemporary data analysis has improved the organization's current practices in the sense that today, most healthcare institutions can transport share data with other stakeholders...