HIM System Characteristics and Needs

Complete a Vila Health interactive simulation in which you will evaluate the current state of hospital HIM systems and needs. Then, write a 5–6-page analysis of the current health care information technology environment and how the Vila Health hospitals fit into that environment.

Note: The assessments in this course build upon the work you have completed in the previous assessments. Therefore, complete the assessments in the order in which they are presented.

Health care is a diverse field; it is not just hospitals and physicians. Health care settings include a wide range of facilities and services, including skilled nursing homes, home health care agencies, rehabilitation clinics, behavioral health clinics, and support services, just to name a few. Therefore, when making decisions related to health informatics, it is important for administrators to take into account the larger, external information technology environment and how their organization fits into it.

This assessment provides an opportunity for you to analyze a current health care information technology environment and make system integration decisions within the larger context of the external environment.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

· Competency 1: Articulate the impact of internal and external environmental changes in health care organizations related to use of technology.

1. Analyze the current health care information technology (IT) environment.

1. Explain how hospital HIM systems fit into the external health care technology environment.

. Competency 3: Analyze the roles of governmental, regulatory, and professional agencies related to health care and their impact on clinical outcomes and financial performance.

2. Identify the specific regulations and guidelines that must be followed for particular health information systems.

. Competency 4: Evaluate health care applications and technology infrastructure.

3. Support one’s system integration decisions and recommendations.

. Competency 5: Articulate the characteristics and services of different types of health care organizations and their unique use of health care technology.

4. Determine the interrelatedness of HIT throughout an organization.

4. Identify the specific, unique HIM needs of a hospital.

4. Analyze common procedures and best practices for securing sensitive health information.

. Competency 6: Communicate effectively with diverse audiences, in an appropriate form and style, consistent with applicable organizational, professional, and scholarly standards.

5. Write clearly and concisely, using correct grammar, mechanics, and APA formatting.

Templates

Use this template for your written analysis of the health informatics external environment.

. APA Style Paper Template [DOCX].

Required Resources

The following resources are required to complete the assessment.

. Vila Health: Health Information System Characteristics and Needs | Transcript.

7. This multimedia simulation will enable you to evaluate the current state of health information management systems and needs at Vila Health’s St. Anthony Medical Center.

· Assessment Instructions

Note: This assessment builds on your work from Assessments 1 and 3. Therefore, complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented.

Preparation

Once again, you will assume the role of a mid-level administrator within the Vila Health system. In the previous assessment, you analyzed the Vila Health settings and the health information systems of the various hospitals it acquired and made your system integration decisions and recommendations.

In this assessment, the Chief Operations Officer would like your analysis of the current health informatics external environment and an explanation of how your integration decisions align with this environment.

Complete the Vila Health: Health Information System Characteristics and Needs interactive simulation, linked in the Resources. Determine the HIS needs of two medical departments, services, or clinics.

Requirements

Analyze the current health care information technology environment, and support your system integration decisions, within the larger context of the external environment.

Note: Remember that you can submit all—or a portion of—your draft analysis to Smarthinking for feedback, before you submit the final version for this assessment. If you plan on using this free service, be mindful of the turnaround time of 24–48 hours for receiving feedback.

Document Format and Length

Format your analysis using APA style.

. Use the APA Style Paper Template, linked in the Required Resources. An APA Style Paper Tutorial is also provided (linked in the Suggested Resources) to help you in writing and formatting your analysis. Be sure to include:

1. A title page and references page. An abstract is not required.

1. A running head on all pages.

1. Appropriate section headings.

. Your analysis should be 5–6 pages in length, not including the title page and references page.

Supporting Evidence

Use credible scholarly or professional evidence to support your analysis.

Format all citations using APA style. Remember that an APA citation includes both the in-text citation (the author’s last name and the year of publication) and the full reference for the source.

Writing Your Analysis of the External Environment

Note: The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure that your analysis addresses each point, at a minimum. You may also want to read the HIM System Characteristics and Needs Scoring Guide to better understand how each criterion will be assessed.

. Analyze the current health care information technology (IT) environment.

3. Consider the information needed to create a complete picture of the IT environment.

. Explain how the Vila Health hospital’s HIM systems fit into the external health care technology environment.

4. What evidence do you have to support your assertions and conclusions?

. Determine the interrelatedness of HIT throughout an organization.

5. How do various applications used throughout the organization, such as electronic medical records (EMR) and pharmacy, laboratory, scheduling, and billing applications, work together?

5. How might an understanding of a broad range of applications help health care managers make strategic decisions. For example, how would a demographics database application help make marketing decisions?

. Identify the specific, unique HIM needs of each hospital.

6. How might system integration decisions serve those needs?

. Identify the specific regulations and guidelines that must be followed for particular health information systems.

7. Consider current laws, the responsibilities of managers for meeting regulatory obligations and guidelines, and best practices for compliance.

. Analyze common procedures and best practices for securing sensitive health information.

8. Consider the effects of government agencies and specific regulations on health informatics.

. Support your system integration decisions and recommendations.

9. Utilize current trends and best practices from the literature.

. Write clearly and concisely, using correct grammar, mechanics, and APA formatting.

10. Express your main points and conclusions coherently.

10. Proofread your writing to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on the substance of your analysis.