HCA Chapter 5 Test Questions and Correct Solutions Rated A+

Introduction - Technology has been a blessing: -Reduction in complications and disability -Increased longevity -New drugs help stabilize chronic conditions Technology imposes a cost burden on society -Costly research is necessary -Ongoing costs of use Changes Triggered by Technology - -Raised consumer expectations: leading to increased demand for and utilization of new technology once it becomes available -Changed the organization of medical services: many specialized services that previously could be offered only in hospitals are now available in outpatient settings and patients' homes -Driven scope and content of medical training and the practice of medicine, fueling specialization in medicine -Influenced status of various medical workers: specialization is held in higher regard than primary care and public health -Technology assessment is a growing activity: new drugs, devices, and procedures aren't always effective or safe because their effectiveness and potential negative consequences must be evaluated using scientific methods -Raised complex social and ethical concerns that defy straightforward answers What is Medical Technology? - -Application of scientific knowledge to improve health and efficiencies (practical application of the scientific body of knowledge for the purpose of improving health and creating efficiencies in the delivery of health care) -Medical science benefited from developments in chemistry, physics, engineering, and pharmacology -Medical technology includes sophisticated machines, pharmaceuticals, and biologicals -In a broad sense, it also includes procedures, facilities, information systems, and management and operational systems -Nanotechnology nanomedicine - area of biomedical research that seeks to use tools from the field of nanotechnology to improve health (for medical use); has potential applications in both diagnostics and therapeutics nanotechnology - not confined to a single field, but rather requires an intense collaboration between disciplines to manipulate materials on the atomic and molecular level - one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter Information Technology - -Transformation of data into useful information -determines data, gathers appropriate data, stores and analyzes data, reports the information in a format desired by its end users -used to transfer over to health care professionals, managers, payers, patients, researchers, and the government Health Care Information Technology - Decides to adopt new information technologies to improve health care delivery, increase organizational efficiency, and comply with various laws and regulations -medical record systems to collect, transcribe, and store clinical data; -radiology and clinical laboratory reporting systems; -pharmacy data systems to monitor medication use and avoid errors, adverse reactions, and drug interactions; -scheduling systems for patients, space (such as surgery suites), and personnel; -and financial systems for billing and collections, materials management, and many other aspects of organizational management Three categories of IT applications - -Clinical information systems -Administrative information systems -Decision support systems Clinical information systems - Involve the organized processing, storage, and retrieval of information to support patient care delivery Administrative information systems - Assist health care staff in carrying out financial and administrative support activities, such as payroll, patient accounting, billing, materials management, budgeting and cost control, and office automation Decision support systems - Provide information and analytical tools to support managerial and clinical decision making managerial decision support systems - can be used to forecast patient volume, project staffing requirements, and schedule patients to optimize utilization of patient care and surgical facilities clinical decision support systems - designed to improve clinical decision making; a patient's unique clinical data are matched to a computerized knowledge base, and software algorithms generate patient-specific treatment protocols and recommendations Health Informatics - -Application of information science -Improves efficiency, accuracy, and reliability -Requires the use of IT but goes beyond IT by emphasizing the improvement of health care delivery Electronic Health Records (EHR) - IT applications that enable the processing of any electronically stored information pertaining to individual patients for the purpose of delivering health care services -replace the traditional paper medical records, which document a patient's demographic information, problems, and diagnoses, plan of care, progress notes, medications, vital signs, and past medical history, among other systems EHR systems - With basic features should incorporate the ability to update patient demographics, view test results, maintain problem lists, compile clinical notes, and manage prescription ordering. Four main components/characteristics of an EHR system - -Collection and storage of health information on individual patients over time -Immediate electronic access to person- and population-level information by authorized users -Availability of knowledge and decision support that enhances the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care -Support of efficient processes for health care delivery