Innovations in Health Information Technology- Enhancing Patient Care and Efficiency

Innovations in Health Information Technology- Enhancing Patient Care and Efficiency

We live in an era of the high-tech healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals can utilize information technology to access patient information, diagnose patients and treat patients. The Healthcare delivery industry should thus embrace new technology like social media, security, and encryption.

Social Media

There are many social media platforms that patients can use for health-related reasons. They include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat. Social media can serve as a help for patients, and it can foster patient independence and complement the information offered by healthcare professionals (Smailhodzic et al., 2016). Patients can also use social media for psychosocial support, and they can meet other patients suffering from similar situations, and their resolve can be strengthened (Smailhodzic et al., 2016). Healthcare professionals and organizations can also use social media to market their products, build their market position and brand, and enhance their service delivery.

Social media impacts patients, healthcare professionals, and the healthcare delivery industry. Patients can support each other and access healthcare information, which will empower patients with healthcare literacy (Smailhodzic et al., 2016). However, social media has its negative effects, and it is a challenge for healthcare professionals and their patients. Any individual can access social media platforms, and they can post misleading healthcare information. It is thus critical for healthcare professionals to create reliable online information channels to help patients access the right information (Smailhodzic et al., 2016). This will help prevent misinformation. An example is how a misguided Facebook user can claim that excessive amounts of sugary tea can help treat Covid-19. This may cause severe effects if individuals follow this advice.

Healthcare professionals may thus fear that the use of social media for health-related purposes can cause the spread of false information (Smailhodzic et al., 2016). Healthcare professionals should thus weigh the benefits and risks of social media use by patients since an increasing number of patients rely on social media for healthcare information. This will help healthcare professionals understand the benefits of social media and implement social media policies to help them in branding and marketing.

Security and Encryption

Protecting data in healthcare is difficult. Healthcare organizations must thus implement effective security measures and encryption strategies to protect patient data as stipulated by the HIPAA regulations (Mbonihankuye et al., 2019). Healthcare information is sensitive, and hence it must be protected at all costs by healthcare professionals and organizations. Data encryption is one of the most critical ways of protecting data in healthcare organizations. Healthcare organizations can encrypt healthcare data at rest and in transit. This will make it almost impossible for hackers to decipher patient data even if they access patient information ().

HIPAA regulations offer recommendations that healthcare organizations can implement to help in their data encryption strategies (Mbonihankuye et al., 2019). Healthcare organizations should implement strategies that will protect patient data and ensure they comply with HIPAA regulations. Healthcare organizations should determine the type of data to be encrypted/decrypted and the best encryption methods. Healthcare data encryption is becoming more popular in the healthcare delivery industry. Data encryption happens when healthcare data is converted into an unreadable form that cannot be accessed without a decryption key (Mbonihankuye et al., 2019). This protects the data during transmission. This need is being guided by the prevalent use of mobile devices, electronic health records, and the transmission of healthcare data using email. Encryption is important in healthcare since it allows healthcare organizations to comply with HIPAA regulations, makes healthcare data more secure, helps retain the integrity of healthcare data, protects patient information from theft, and prevents costly breaches.

Internet

The internet has reshaped many healthcare processes. In healthcare organizations, the Internet allows healthcare professionals to access information that can help them diagnose and implement evidence-based treatment plans (Bhatia et al., 2018). The Internet allows healthcare professionals to access patient records, diagnostic results, and treatment guidelines from any place. By using the internet, healthcare providers can electronically communicate with one another and discuss treatment plans for their patients.

The internet has allowed a shift towards patient-centered care since healthcare consumers can obtain health-related information, communicate with their doctors, remotely receive healthcare, and communicate with other patients (Bhatia et al., 2018). Healthcare organizations and professionals can implement healthcare-related activities such as health promotion activities and education through the Internet. Healthcare organizations can use the Internet to help with administrative and financial transactions, disease surveillance, healthcare research, and professional education (Bhatia et al., 2018). The Internet is important in healthcare, and it can be used to streamline the healthcare industry, improve population healthcare, and provide important insights concerning emerging diseases.

One way the internet can be used in healthcare is through email to communicate between healthcare providers and patients. Emails can improve healthcare delivery and lower costs since continuous communication allows healthcare professionals to monitor patient progress and minimize the need for office visits.

Conclusion

We are living in an era of technology and big data. Healthcare organizations and professionals must be aware of the current technology trends and use them to their advantage. They can use technology to improve care delivery, brand their services, and reduce healthcare costs. Some of the technologies include data encryption, social media, and the internet. However, they must be aware of the dangers of using these technologies and implement necessary risk management strategies.

References

Bhatia, S., Patnaik, L., Pattanaik, S., & Sahu, T. (2018). Internet use for patient care and health research: A cross-sectional study among physicians in a teaching hospital of Eastern India. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 7(5), 993–997. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_262_17

Mbonihankuye, S., Nkunzimana, A., & Ndagijimana, A. (2019). Healthcare data security technology: HIPAA compliance. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 2019, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/1927495

Smailhodzic, E., Hooijsma, W., Boonstra, A., & Langley, D. J. (2016). Social media use in healthcare: A systematic review of effects on patients and on their relationship with healthcare professionals. BMC Health Services Research, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1691-0

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After witnessing your presentation to the staff of the multi-specialty group practice, the office manager and physicians are impressed and ask you to conduct more in-service training regarding the future of health information technology in the office. In a 3-5 page APA paper or 10-12 slide PowerPoint presentation, not including a title and reference slide, with 150-300-word speaker notes for each slide. Discuss the below information:

Innovations in Health Information Technology- Enhancing Patient Care and Efficiency

Choose and discuss three medical technologies from the following list that are forecast to improve or otherwise change. Give at least one example of how each might be applied in medical situations.