Assignment: Systems Integration Team
One of the roles of a systems integration team is to enable interconnectivity between the various Healthcare Information Systems (HIS) applications and other third party applications. In this group project, you will determine how an EHR, PMS, RIS, PACS, and GIS can be integrated within a Hospital Information System.
To prepare for this discussion, read the following from your course text Health Information: Management of a Strategic Resource:
• Chapter 6, "Electronic Health Record Systems"
Also, search the Internet for more information on how applications can be integrated within an HIS. You may find the following sites useful to begin your exploration.
John is a 42-year-old electrician who fell approximately 20 feet off a ladder while connecting power from the utility pole on the street into a new home. His partner Joe witnessed the fall and noticed that John was reaching for a tool and lost his balance and fell; he didn't notice any strange behavior such as a seizure. John complained of pain in his right leg beneath his knee and in his ankle. He also complained to Joe that his right wrist was in pain. Joe called 911; an ambulance arrived and transported John to the local hospital.
John was brought into the hospital Emergency Room (ER) on a stretcher and the triage nurse was notified of his arrival. He then underwent a series of questions from many hospital employees including the triage nurse, medical billing personnel, and a doctor once he was brought into an exam room. John and the doctor spoke at length about the fall and his past medical history. This information was being recorded by the doctor on a paper document. There were many boxes being checked while the doctor asked John a battery of questions, which took about 15 minutes. This also included his physical exam of John.
The doctor believed that John had a fracture in his right wrist, and one or more fractures in his right leg because there was swelling and pain in both locations. X-rays were ordered and John was sent to the radiology department. Prior to this, blood work, and ECG and other diagnostic tests were performed.
John did indeed have fractures in both his right wrist and right leg. An orthopedic surgeon was called to examine him and as the fractures were not of a nature to require surgery, two casts were placed and he was discharged home under the care of his family doctor and the orthopedic surgeon. The casts would remain for about 8 weeks and once removed, John would most likely need rehabilitation. Over the next 3 months, John visited his family physician and the orthopedic surgeon. After his casts were removed, he underwent rehabilitation. Also included during this time were repeat x-rays of his right leg and wrist, which had healed nicely.
Consider the case study from the data collection and reporting framework that was described. John interfaced with the medical community in locations such as the ER of a hospital, multiple physician offices upon his discharge, rehabilitation centers, and imaging centers both within and outside the hospital.
Consider the various HIS applications, such as EMR, EHR, PACS, RIS, and other systems, as they pertain to the case study at hand. Imagine the difficulty in coordinating John's care if his entire experience were analog-based.
This project has two parts.
Part 1 is an individual effort. Each member of the group should choose one of the applications (EHR, PMS, RIS, PACS, GIS) and in 3-4 paragraphs written in APA style:
• Describe how the HIS application fits into the overall system.
• Determine the overall deliverables of the application.
• Explain the most pertinent IT complexity issues of the application.
• Describe how data can be shared with other applications.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.