PLAZA COLLEGE

Case Study: Communication and Network Technologies

Informatics, Analytics and Data Use

Health Information Technologies

Competency: Explain policies and procedures of networks, including intranet and internet to facilitate clinical and administrative applications (BL2);

Curricular Consideration: Communication and network technologies including EHRs, PHRs, Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), portals, public health, standards, and telehealth.

Subdomain Health Information Exchange

Competency: Explain current trends and future challenges in health information exchange (BL2).

Curricular Consideration: Exchange/sharing of health information (Employer to Health Provider, Health Provider to Health Provider, Health Provider to Employer, Facility to Facility).                

Tasks: Discuss trends and challenges of HIE, and relate this information to the development of an intranet for a healthcare organization.

The healthcare facility where you are employed is planning to develop an intranet for facility use and to be included as part of the healthcare system they are a member of.  Your facility is the newest member of the healthcare system and is now part of the HIE network. Please do the following:

• From the AHIMA journal, choose an article that discusses trends and challenges of health information exchange. Relate the information from this article to the development of an intranet for your healthcare organization;
• The CIO has asked you to prepare a report that will be submitted to the CEO for consideration on what functions should be included as part of the intranet, discuss whether access to the internet will also be required if intranet access is given, what the purpose of these functions will serve for the facility and the greater hospital system, address how an intranet will serve patient quality care and efficiency and any future challenges that the facility should be aware of in creating and maintaining this type of system, including any need to have controls in place to limit access by employees;
• Draft a policy for employees on the use of the intranet and the internet to avoid misuse of the technology and allow the expansion of the use for both clinical and administrative purposes with the Health Information Exchange as part of the healthcare network.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students must be able to:

• Discuss policies and procedures as they relate to intranet, internet and network usage within healthcare (BL2);
• Develop a presentation on the benefits of an intranet for healthcare facilities using Microsoft Powerpoint (BL2);
• Explain the purpose, function and trends of information systems in healthcare settings and illustrate how these trends affect the delivery of healthcare (BL2).