Health organizations integrate variety of clinical information and administrative types of information systems. These systems collect, process, and distribute patient centered data to aid in managing and providing care. An understanding of how each of these types of systems works within the healthcare organizations is fundamental in the study of informatics. 1
Case management information systems (CMISs) These systems span past episodes of treatment and search for trends among the records. Once a trend is identified, case management systems provide decision support promoting preventive care. Information collected by case management systems is processed in a way that helps to reduce risks, ensures quality, and decrease costs. 2
Integrating communication systems with clinical applications provides a real-time approach that will facilitate care among the entire healthcare team, patients and their families. 3
Core Business Systems enhance administrative tasks within healthcare organizations. It provides the framework for reimbursement, support of best practices, quality control, and resource allocation ADT- It is considered the central source for collecting patient information and communicating it to other types of health care information systems- patient name, medical record number, visit or account number, and demographic information. Financial Systems Management- manage the expenses and revenue for providing healthcare. Acuity Systems Monitoring - monitor the range of patient types within a healthcare organization using specific indicators. Scheduling Systems - coordinate staff, services, equipment, and allocation of patient beds. It helps to track resources within a facility while managing the frequency and distribution of those resources. 4
Order entry systems provide major safeguards by ensuring that physician orders are legible and complete thereby providing a level of patient safety that was historically missing with paper-based orders. It allows for clear and legible orders promoting patient safety and streamlining care. 5
These patient-centered systems focus on collecting data and disseminating information related to direct care Clinical Documentation Systems also known as Clinical Information Systems (CIS) Clinical information systems are designed to collect patient data in real time: plan of care, hemodynamic data, lab results, clinical notes, allergies and medications. It is also referred as Electronic Medical Record (EMR). Pharmacy information systems have also become a mainstream patient care support system. These systems typically allow pharmacists to order, manage and dispense medications for a facility. Laboratory Information Systems were perhaps some of the first systems ever used in healthcare. Laboratory information systems report on blood, body fluid and tissue samples along with biological specimens that are collected at the bedside and received in a central laboratory. Radiology Information System (RIS) are systems schedule, result, and store information as it relates to diagnostic radiology procedures. 6
Knowledge exchange is the product of collaboration when sharing an understanding of information promotes learning from past experiences to make better decisions in the future. At an administrative level, collaboration among key stakeholders is critical to the success of any project. Collaboration also occurs among the various departments impacted by the system. From collaboration comes the exchange of information and ideas through knowledge sharing. A multidisciplinary approach assures that systems will work in the complex environment of healthcare organizations with diverse and complex patient populations. 7
Health organizations integrate variety of clinical information and administrative types of information systems. These systems collect, process, and distribute patient centered data to aid in managing and providing care. An understanding of how each of these types of systems works within the healthcare organizations is fundamental in the study of informatics. 8