Part A - Summative Essay
Learning Outcomes
1. Understand the opportunities and constraints for information technology in health care, including the impact of political and sociological factors.
2. Examine the challenges and benefits to informatics in health.
3. Understand how to critically appraise and evaluate the current evidence base.
Your task
"All the economies of the world are striving for an interoperable electronic health record" D Protti 2006
Clinical Information Systems are seen as being fundamental to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare. They are becoming commonplace in a number of countries in both primary and secondary care. The benefits of using these systems are widely proclaimed by governments, health IT industry and healthcare organisations.
Write an essay that demonstrates your understanding of the benefits and disadvantages of clinical information systems, taking careful note of the assessment criteria.
Assessment Criteria
Define a clinical record, an electronic clinical record and a clinical information system. This should include a description of the differences between electronic medical records, electronic health records and personal health records.
Critically appraise the potential benefits for individuals, clinicians, healthcare organisations and governments of Clinical Information Systems. There are many stated benefits and you need to set these out but you should then focus on 3 of these to discuss in depth, giving a critical analysis of the evidence for each.
Critically appraise the potential disadvantages and risks there might be in using clinical information systems. You should give an overview of these and then discuss 2 of these in depth, giving a critical analysis of the evidence for each.
Discuss the requirements of Clinical Information Systems that are necessary to ensure secure and effective use and sharing of electronic clinical records. Your discussion should cover security and governance, interoperability and data quality, including the role of coding and messaging standards.
Be logically structured with a coherent argument.
Use evidence from a range of relevant sources to support your discussion.
Include accurate and consistent referencing using the Harvard style in accordance with the University of Leeds regulations on plagiarism.
Use good English and correct spelling and punctuation.
Part B- Essay
Your task
"All the economies of the world are striving for an interoperable electronic health record' D Protti 2006
Clinical Information Systems are seen as being fundamental to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare. They are becoming commonplace in a number of countries in both primary and secondary care. The benefits of using these systems are widely proclaimed by governments, health IT industry and healthcare organisations.
Write an outline for your summative essay that includes the following:
1. Demonstration of the main structure of the essay.
2. An introduction that includes the background and aim(s) of the essay.
3. At least five appropriate references in a reference list written in the correct Harvard style. Cite at least one of these sources in your introduction.
All assignments should include your student number and page numbers, (see the Programme Handbook for further details). Remember to make full use of the sources in the VLE. Make sure you look at the full list of assessment criteria for the summative essay.
Your essay should demonstrate that you can:
1. Define a clinical information system.
This should include a description of the differences between electronic medical records, electronic health records and personal health records.
2. Critically appraise the benefits of clinical information systems in healthcare. There are many potential benefits and you should give an overview of these and then focus on three to discuss in depth, giving a critical analysis of the evidence about each one. Discuss the impact these benefits may have on different stakeholders. Stakeholders could include patients, clinicians. healthcare organisations. governments.
3. Critically appraise the potential disadvantages there might be in implementing and using clinical information systems.
You should give an overview of these and then discuss two in depth, giving a critical analysis of the evidence about each of them.
25 marks.
4. Discuss the technical requirements that are necessary to achieve a secure and effective use of clinical information systems, in particular the role of coding and messaging standards.
5. Structure your essay effectively, use evidence from a range of sources, include accurate and consistent referencing, in accordance with the University of Leeds regulations on plagiarism, and use good English and correct spelling and punctuation.