HEALTHCARE STANDARDS PAPER

HEALTHCARE STANDARDS PAPER

Healthcare Standards

The healthcare sector is among the fields that have, over the years, seen calls from various quarters for improvement of services for better healthcare and population health. While the stakeholders have explored various initiatives to help improve the sector, improvements have been witnessed to varying degrees. Among the top efforts that have overseen a revolution in healthcare is Health Information Technology (Wager et al., 2017). Various definitions have been used for health information technology. For instance, it is the electronic systems that those offering healthcare, and to an extent, patients use in storing, sharing, and analyzing information. The potential of health information technology improving patient care quality and safety and efficiency means that standards are vital so that the wide options available for technological applications are effectively and harmlessly used to achieve the expected goals. This paper explores the standards for health information technology in the US health care system and some of the improvements needed.

Importance of Health Information Technology Standards

The enormous size of the healthcare sector requires the use of standards for health information technology applications. There are various reasons why the standards of health information technology are vital. To start with, the standards ensure that there is the protection of patient’s privacy and health. Applications of technology like electronic health records ensure that healthcare institutions have a lot of private information on patients. Such private and confidential information can cause serious harm and suffering to the patients if they leak or access granted to unauthorized individuals (Ross et al.,2016). Therefore, standards ensure that such information only remains in the hands of authorized health care professionals. Another reason as to why standards are vital is that it ensures documentation integrity. Documentation integrity means that the patient data collected by the providers are kept up to date and correct (Zang et al., 2016)). With the documentation integrity well observed, the patient records are both complete and accurate since it covers areas such as information governance, authorship validation as well as validation or the records kept.

Another importance of standards is to guard against the commission of healthcare fraud and abuse by the healthcare organizations. Healthcare fraud can have long-lasting effects on both the offender and the victim. Organizations can easily commit fraud and abuse against patients through actions such as faulty billing and business processes, and therefore health information technology standards ensure that such cases are minimized (Ross et al.,2016). The next reason why health information technology is vital is that it ensures that there is data interoperability. Interoperability refers to “the extent to which systems and devices can exchange data, and interpret that shared data. For two systems to be interoperable, they must be able to exchange data and subsequently present that data such that it can be understood by a user” (Ross et al., 2016). The standards, therefore, ensures that various measures are taken to ensure that the data is sharable and can be well understood by the intended users. And finally, the standards are vital since they help in improving patient care outcomes and safety. Using the information technology in an inappropriate manner can endanger the lives of the patients; therefore, standards spell what the care providers need to do or follow to ensure that patient safety comes fast before anything. The end result is improved patient care.

Quality Reporting Document Architecture (QRDA)

Among the most vital health information technology standards that influence my organization is the quality reporting document architecture. It is a safety standard applied in data submission and used for various initiatives for quality reporting and measurement initiatives. The standards ensure that the reporting method for quality measure leads to consistent and structured formats which can be utilized in exchanging electronic quality measure data between various systems. The standard also prompts Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) Release 2 for electronic clinical quality measure exchange. The office of Health Information Technology adopted QRDA as a standard to help in supporting both provider’s aggregate and individual patient quality reporting approaches to data submission (Dolin et al., 2015). The standards, therefore, ensured that the organization effectively submitted data and practiced quality reporting.

Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

Welcome to class

Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.

Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.

If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.

Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.

Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

• Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
• There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
• Include in-text citations in your response
• Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
• Follow APA-7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

• A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
• Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
• Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
• Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
• Follow APA 7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

• Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
• Here are some helpful links
• The is a great resource

 

 

Standard That Needs Improvement

While several existing standards of health information technology have done well and operate to guide the sector, some still need improvements. One of such is the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise standard; this is a standard set to help in improving sharing of information in healthcare using computer systems. The standard boosts an integrated use of some standards such as HL7 and DICOM in addressing particular clinical needs to yield optimal patient care (Kim, 2015). Among the effects of the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise standard is that the systems created following its protocol have better intercommunications, help the care providers in using information more effectively, and are also easier to implement. One aspect of the standard that needs improvement is conditions of flexibility for adopting the standard to a different organization. The security issue is still an optional element in the standard, and I feel that it is one of the biggest omissions and needs to be improved. The possible solution is using an integrated security approach to improve it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, standards for health information technology are essential in ensuring that patient safety and treatment are achieved within the confines of acceptable standards. While most of the standards have been effective to a large extent, some parts still need improvements for better quality and improved care delivery.

 

 

References

Dolin, R. H., Rogers, B., & Jaffe, C. (2015). Health level seven interoperability strategy: Big data, incrementally structured. Methods of information in medicine, 54(01), 75-82.

Kim, J. S. (2015). Study on Radiation Dose in the Medical Image Data Display Method-Focused on the DICOM Standard. Journal of radiological science and technology, 38(4), 483-489.  Doi:10.17946/JRST.2015.38.4.19.

Ross, J., Stevenson, F., Lau, R., & Murray, E. (2016). Factors that influence the implementation of e-health: a systematic review of systematic reviews (an update). Implementation science, 11(1), 1-12. Doi: 10.1186/s13012-016-0510-7

Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health care information systems: a practical approach for health care management. John Wiley & Sons.

Zhang, Y., Sun, Y., & Xie, B. (2015). Quality of health information for consumers on the web: a systematic review of indicators, criteria, tools, and evaluation results. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66(10), 2071-2084. Doi:

Please follow revised 7th edition APA format.

Discuss the importance of health information technology (HIT) standards in the delivery of health care in the United States. Write a 750-1,000 word paper summarizing the following criteria:

Discuss the top five reasons standards are vital in the U.S. health care system.

Choose one of the most vital HIT standards for your current or previous organization. Discuss how the standard influences the organization. Some examples of HIT standards are: FHIR, HL7, IHE, C-CDA, QRDA, and HQFM. Refer to HealthIT.gov/Health IT Standards for more information.

Choose a standard you believe needs improvement. Discuss the effect of the standard and propose a solution for its improvement.

Cite three to five scholarly sources in your paper.

Health Care Standards Paper

No of Criteria: 8 Achievement Levels: 5

Criteria

Achievement Levels

DescriptionPercentage

Unsatisfactory

0.00 %

Less Than Satisfactory

74.00 %

Satisfactory

79.00 %

Good

87.00 %

Excellent

100.00 %

Content

100.0

 

Importance of Standards Used in the U.S. Health Care System

20.0

A discussion of the top one or two reasons standards are vital in the U.S. health care systems is not included.

A discussion of the top one to three reasons standards are vital in the U.S. health care systems is included but incomplete.

A discussion of the top four reasons standards are vital in the U.S. health care systems is included but incomplete.

A discussion of the top five reasons standards are vital in the U.S. health care systems is complete and includes supporting detail.

A discussion of the top five reasons standards are vital in the U.S. health care systems is extremely thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

Influence of HIT Standard on the Organization

20.0

A discussion of how one vital HIT standard influences the current or previous organization is not included.

A discussion of how one vital HIT standard influences the current or previous organization is incomplete or incorrect.

A discussion of how one vital HIT standard influences the current or previous organization is included but lack details.

A discussion of how one vital HIT standard influences the current or previous organization is complete and includes supporting detail.

A discussion of how one vital HIT standard influences the current or previous organization of the student is extremely thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

Standard Improvement and Proposed Solution

30.0

A description of a standard that needs improvement and a solution for its improvement is not included.

A description of a standard that needs improvement and a solution for its improvement is incomplete or incorrect.

A description of a standard that needs improvement and a solution for its improvement is included but lack details.

A description of a standard that needs improvement and a solution for its improvement is complete and includes supporting detail.

A description of a standard that needs improvement and a solution for its improvement is extremely thorough and includes substantial supporting details.

Thesis Development and Purpose

7.0

Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.

Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.

Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose.

Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.

Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.

Argument Logic and Construction

8.0

Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources.

Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility.

Argument is orderly, but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.

Argument shows logical progressions. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative.

Clear and convincing argument that presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)

5.0

Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used.

Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied.

Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.

Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.

Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.

Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment)

5.0

Template is not used appropriately or documentation format is rarely followed correctly.

Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent.

Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present.

Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style.

All format elements are correct.

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)

5.0

Sources are not documented.

Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.

Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.

Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.

Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.

Total Percentage  100