Information technology has notably had a positive impact on the medical field. Notably, most patient data, such as patients’ histories, current medication, and prescriptions, are stored in information systems designed specifically for the health sector. The systems are designed differently and tailored according to user preference; they all play a similar basic role. Wise to note gathering, organizing, and analyzing patient data are the core roles health informatics systems play (Alsalman, Alumran, Alrayes, Althumairi, Alrawiai, Alakrawi, … & Alanzi, 2021). However, with personalization, the informatics system can also decode data according to user preference. For instance, running patient data across a set of guidelines and parameters can and is used to offer evidence-based research for medical issues and in finding solutions for specific patients.
In recent times, I have come across several healthcare informatics systems. However, one informatics system was significant to me but negatively. As much as the system was a combination of a patient’s portal and electronic medical records, its setup and navigation were all fracases and a mess to me. As the system should be, the patient’s portal was supposed to be majorly for the patient’s use, the backend system roles being assigned to the hospital administrator for elevated roles (Ngugi, Babic, Kariuki, Santas, Naanyu & Were, 2021). However, the patient portal had no slot for customers to update their visits, test results, or prescriptions. In addition, patients were not linked to the portal, making it hard to make appointments through notable third-party applications such as emails. The electronic medical record system was poorly integrated with the portal. Therefore, it did not show recent medical data for patients. The medical facility, therefore, needs a new and effective informatics system.
In the new health informatics system, notable strategies shall be used for its outstanding success. The system shall serve its primary and secondary roles from its early stages to when users will be comfortable letting off handholding. To adopt the new system, we must consider technical, social, organizational, and socio-political factors that shall favor the users. For the health informatics system to be effectively used, it must be user-friendly, adaptable to user needs, and integrate perfectly with the current system (Nikolaidou, Kotronis, Routis, Politi, Dimitrakopoulos, Anagnostopoulos… & Bensaali, 2021). Additionally, for its success, the system needs to be strategic in the problem it shall be designed to tackle with a plan for its implementation being budgeted for. As a result of the above needs, there shall be an option to use either single, bundled, or blended strategies. As mentioned earlier, all of the above strategies will push for training, role identification, and implementation, leading to organizational change.
In implementing a new health informatics system, notable barriers are bound to be encountered. The management’s lack of support can cause the newly proposed health informatics system to pause due to their lack of approval. Technical challenges such as people setting up the system having the required skillset are bound to be encountered. Additionally, users can resist using and implementing the system, making it hard to serve its core role (Basu, Kuziemsky, de Araújo Novaes, Kleber, Sales, Al-Shorbaji …& Udayasankaran, 2021). Above and beyond, users might decline to share their details in fear of their privacy being breached, making it hard for a new health informatics system to be implemented. However, the organization might sometimes lack data restrictions and standards, making it hard for the system to be effective.
To effectively educate staff on a new health informatics system, an end-user training strategy can be carried out to ensure all employees learn of the basic user roles. In a new system, goals for the training are discussed with the users to achieve a high learning rate. Educating the users step by step can follow illustrative training before allowing the users to interact with the system before official duties. Additionally, a superuser training strategy can later be applied to super users (Roehrs, da Costa, da Rosa Righi, da Silva, Goldim & Schmidt, 2019). Their roles shall exceed basic users; hence their training shall be detailed and longer. Superusers can also be assistants and referral points when basic users do not understand a certain aspect of the system. After system implementation, offering elbow support and customized customer support can be offered handholding strategies after go-live.
References
Alsalman, D., Alumran, A., Alrayes, S., Althumairi, A., Alrawiai, S., Alakrawi, Z., … & Alanzi, T. (2021). Implementation status of health information systems in hospitals in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Informatics in Medicine Unlocked, 22, 100499.
Basu, A., Kuziemsky, C., de Araújo Novaes, M., Kleber, A., Sales, F., Al-Shorbaji, N., … & Udayasankaran, J. G. (2021). Telehealth and the COVID-19 pandemic: international perspectives and a health systems framework for telehealth implementation support critical response. Yearbook of Medical Informatics.
Ngugi, P., Babic, A., Kariuki, J., Santas, X., Naanyu, V., & Were, M. C. (2021). Development of standard indicators to assess use of electronic health record systems implemented in low-and medium-income countries. PloS one, 16(1), e0244917.
Nikolaidou, M., Kotronis, C., Routis, I., Politi, E., Dimitrakopoulos, G., Anagnostopoulos, D., … & Bensaali, F. (2021). Incorporating patient concerns into design requirements for IoMT-based systems: The fall detection case study. Health informatics journal, 27(1), 1460458220982640.
Roehrs, A., da Costa, C. A., da Rosa Righi, R., da Silva, V. F., Goldim, J. R., & Schmidt, D. C. (2019). Analyzing the performance of a blockchain-based personal health record implementation. Journal of biomedical informatics, 92, 103140.
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