Question

How does understanding the logic of q database assist clinical resources? How does being involved with workflow development assist IT resources?

Answer 1

In its simplest definition, a database is any record that a practitioner maintains in paper form or on a computer. It does not matter whether it is a sole practitioner or corporate bodies. With technological innovations, medical facilities are leaning towards online transaction processing, thus doing away with paper.

Anything that a medical practitioner collects from a patient forms part of the database. These include encounter forms, discharge forms, or any other registries. The whole purpose then of having a database is to ensure that the information is safe, updatable when necessary, and is easily accessible to anyone who may require them.

With the rapid growth of technology use in the healthcare sector, there is the generation of a lot of data. It, therefore, becomes a requirement that they collate the information for ease-of-use. This will greatly assist healthcare professionals in the discharge of their duties.

The Healthcare system generates data that requires delicate handling. A patient’s life depends on this information, and it is therefore important for the Healthcare provider to be able to access it in the shortest time possible.

1. Efficiency

Every time a patient visits a medical institution, there is a lot of information that is collected. Where the patient requires seeing many different practitioners, the diagnosis, procedures, drug prescriptions, or any other intervention, needs to be on record. This process will require the safe storage of data.
Now, imagine a typical day and the number of patients who come to the hospital. Well-designed hospital databases are important for the collection of patient information. It will also assist in achieving efficiency due to the processing of data, thus giving the Healthcare provider relevant information with a click-of-a-button.

The data will require a level of manipulation to make it easier to use. A doctor may, for example, not have time to go through mounds of data when a patient comes in. It, therefore, requires that the information undergoes query, filtering and retrieval using the relevant technology.

2. Exchange of Information

In the case that a patient needs the services of healthcare providers in different hospitals, a system needs to be in a place that helps in the exchange of information. Hospitals need to exchange healthcare data anytime there is a requirement.

It is therefore important that there is function integration through things like patient identification, healthcare access control, and order management services, among others. Technology is essential because standards for the workflow are an important requirement.

3. Monitoring and Improving the Value of Healthcare

Health care database systems provide an important way of monitoring and improving the value of healthcare services. This will result in better well-being for the patients. Healthcare providers find a way of availing information on costs, appropriate and effective treatment, and access to care and the quality of service a patient gets.

Any institution or external group of petitioners can get access to this information for various uses. The data can help in quality assurance and improvement programs for health planning purposes at a regional level. The information can provide important answers about policy issues surrounding reforms in the sector.

Patients can expect better health care, better health, improved efficiency, lower costs and better clinical decision-making