Describe and analyze the chosen healthcare facility.

• Location - where is the organization located.
• Type of setting - acute care hospital, skilled nursing facility, physicians office, surgical center, insurance company, etc.
• Size of the facility - research the number of beds if applicable or other information on the size.
• Ownership - private, government owned, proprietary, voluntary, etc.
• Population served
• Services offered
• Any accreditation or certification facts (You can find these from the organization's website
• Work on this section after completing Week 2 content and reviewing Chapter 11 - Draft due on Week 4, Completed in Week 7.

Describe users of the health information at this organization.

• Physicians
• Nurses
• Administrators
• Support services
• External users depending on the type of the facility (such as accrediting agencies, payors, state department of health, CMS, and others as applicable).
• Any other users not listed above (therapists, pharmacists, etc.)
• Clarify whether this facility has paper medical records only, electronic only, or both.
• If the facility has paper records, describe how users access these records.
• If the facility has electronic records, describe how users access these records.
• Work on this section after completing Week 3 content and reviewing Chapter 2 - Draft due on Week 4, Completed in Week 7.

Discuss at least one information system used in the facility.

• Identify the name of the system and the vendor (e.g., Chart Locator software by 3M, Sunrise software by Eclipsys, etc.).
• Identify the type of system (e.g., registration, billing, coding, computerized physician order entry [CPOE], nursing system, picture archiving communication system [PACS], medication administration, finance system, etc.).
• Classify the system (to the best of your ability) based on the description you are given (e.g., clinical, administrative, decision support, transaction-processing, MIS, EIS, etc.) and what you have learned from Sayles, chapters 14 and 15.
• Describe the function of the system as explained by the interviewer or other sources of information.
  • What is their purpose, or what functions do they perform?
  • Does it connect or interface with other systems?
  • Is it user friendly?
  • Is the system secure?
  • Do vendors support the maintenance and updates of the system?
• Describe strengths (e.g., ask about benefits of using this system; has it made a difference in the way care is delivered and decisions are made?).
• Describe weaknesses (e.g., functions that the system does not currently perform and you would like it to perform).
• Describe any details learned about the planning, design, implementation, and maintenance of this system.
• Ask if it is possible to obtain copies of a screenshot, policies and procedures, brochures, training guidelines, or anything else that they may be willing to share.
• Work on this section after completing Weeks 4 and 5 content and reviewing Chapters 14 and 15 - Due on Week 7.

Provide comments and conclusions.

• • Reflect on the learning experience as a result of working on this project.
  • Summarize your findings about the organization.
  • Summarize your findings about the system described.
  • Identify key strengths and weaknesses of the system.
  • Identify any opportunities for improvement (based on identification of weaknesses or your knowledge about systems).