HM311

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Introduction to Information Systems for
Health Information Technology
Chapter 1: Introduction to Computers in Health Information
Management
© 2020 American Health Information Management Association

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Learning Objectives
Identify and discuss the impact of computers on healthcare
Discuss the history of computers in healthcare
Compare and contrast the similarities and differences among the Internet,
intranet, and extranet as used in healthcare
Explain data analytics and health informatics and how information systems
(I Ss) apply

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Introduction
Information system: Automated system that uses computer hardware and
software to record, manipulate, store, recover, and disseminate data
Technology changes rapidly
• Skills and knowledge require updating
Data: Raw facts and figures
Information: Data that have been manipulated into something meaningful

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History of Computers in Healthcare—Early Systems, 1
Financial applications
Mainframe computers
1970s
• Dumb terminals
• Personal Computers
• Use in H I M
• Abstracting
• MPI

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History of Computers in Healthcare—Early Systems, 2
1980s and 1990s
• PC
• Wired networking
• Data entry
• Barcodes
• Speech recognition
• Touch screens
• Light pens
• Microphones

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History of Computers in Healthcare—Modern Information
Systems, 1
Wireless devices
• Point of care
• Computer on wheels
Electronic health record: Electronic record of health-related information
on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability
standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized
clinicians and staff across more than one healthcare organization

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History of Computers in Healthcare—Modern Information
Systems, 2
Cloud computing: System that operates on a computer that is owned and
maintained by a vendor
Internet
Intranet: Private information network that is similar to the Internet in that
it uses Internet technologies
• Hosts policies and procedures, forms, events, etc.

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History of Computers in Healthcare—Modern Information
Systems, 3
Extranet
• System of connections of private Internet networks outside an organization’s firewall
• Uses Internet technology to enable collaborative applications to allow external users
to access the information system

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Impact of Computers on Healthcare
Used for:
• Patient care
• Research
• Business practices
• Education
• Public health

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Impact of Computers on Healthcare—Patient Care, 1
Used for:
• Actual care provided to the patient
• Patient engagement in healthcare
• Creation of evidence-based medicine
• Creation of practice guidelines
• Patient safety

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Impact of Computers on Healthcare—Patient Care, 2
Health information exchange (H I E): Exchange of health information
electronically between providers and others with the same level of
interoperability
Patient safety
• To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System
• E H R
• Eliminated illegibility
• Complete information
• Clinical provider order entry

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Impact of Computers on Healthcare—Patient Care, 3
Evidence-based medicine
• Based on peer-reviewed studies
• Clinical pathways
• Clinical practice guidelines

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Impact of Computers on Healthcare—H I M Profession, 1
Technology used for:
• Assigning diagnosis and procedures codes
• Managing the MPI
• Managing registries
• Transcribing documents such as the discharge summary
• Analyzing the health record
• Documenting release of information activities
• Computer-assisted coding

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Impact of Computers on Healthcare—H I M Profession, 2
H I M Department
• Working virtually
• Increased productivity
• Increased employee job satisfaction
• Centralized department
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
Change in skills needed
Change in roles

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Introduction to Health Informatics
Health informatics
• Knowledge, information-processing, and communication
• Used in healthcare practice, education, and research

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Introduction to Data Analytics, 1
Example of data
• 33% of the patients have commercial insurance
Example of information
• 33% of the patients have commercial insurance, which is a 2% increase over this point
last year

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Introduction to Data Analytics, 2
Data analytics: Science of examining raw data with the purpose of drawing
conclusions about that information
Certified health data analyst

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Introduction to Data Analytics, 3
Categories
• Descriptive
• Predictive
• Prescriptive

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Introduction to Data Analytics—Tools, 1
Data mining: Extracting and analyzing large volumes of data from a
database for the purpose of identifying hidden and sometimes subtle
relationships or patterns and using those relationships to predict behaviors
Dashboards: Reports of process measures to help leaders follow progress
to assist with strategic planning
• Key measures
• Graphics

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Introduction to Data Analytics—Tools, 2
Descriptive statistics: Statistical information describes the characteristics
of a specific group or a population
Inferential statistics: Statistical technique that allows researchers to make
generalizations about a population’s characteristics
Predictive modeling: Process used to identify patterns that can be used to
predict the odds of a particular outcome based on the observed data