Introduction

Health IT has improved patients safety, healthcare quality, efficiency and data collection and has helped restrain rising cost. Health information technology encompasses a broad array of technologies involved in managing and sharing patient information electronically than paper. http://www.allhealth.org/publications/health_information_technology/health_information_technology_toolkit.asp states Many in the U.S. have high hopes for health information technology, or health IT. Hospitals hope to reduce medical errors, such as ordering and administering the wrong dose of a medication. Providers hope to access and share patient information more easily, thereby improving care. Governments and businesses hope to save money by improving efficiency. In this paper, I will determine, within the healthcare setting, the main features, capabilities, and operational benefits to a health care organization using the following: patient care applications, management and enterprise systems, e-Health applications, and strategic decision-support application, I will assume the responsibility of a healthcare administrator for the health information systems within my organization and create an argument to be presented to the leaders with the organization that a strategic plan is essential for the IM/IT, assess the importance of a system development life cycle as it pertains to both the development of a custom application, coupled with the selection of proprietary systems, recommend the key element necessary to ensure secure access to health care patient information within a health care management electronic system, and make two recommendations for improving the application of systems theory to health care IM/IT governance and planning.
IM/IT ANALYSIS
Determine, within the healthcare setting, the main features, capabilities, and operational benefits to a health care organization using the following: patient care applications, management and enterprise systems, e-Health applications, strategic decision-support applications.
A patient care application has improved the health care efficiency, quality, safety, and cost. As a nurse, I know that the technology over the years has made nursing a lot easier. Nurses who have come before me have stated that it was increasing complex due to no computer systems, medication machines and paper medical records. Before extensive application of technology, nurses relied heavily on their senses of sight, touch, smell, and hearing to monitor patient status and to detect changes. However, now we have EHR, (electronic health records) that can be collected in the computer system, pulse oxymetry and vital sign machines. http://cba.uah.edu/guptaj/m680/erpbenefits.pdf states, Enterprise systems (ES) are large-scale organizational systems built around packaged enterprise system software. Enterprise system software (ESS) is a set of packaged application software modules with an integrated architecture, which can be used by organizations as their primary engine for integrating data, processes and information technology, in real time, across internal and external value chains; contains deep knowledge of business practices accumulated from vendor implementations in a wide range of client organizations; is a generic ‘semi-finished’ product with tables and parameters that user Organizations and their implementation partners must configure, customize and integrate with other computer based information systems to meet their business needs. ESS includes enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), product life cycle management (PLM)
IM/IT ANALYSIS and eProcurement software. e-Health applications extends the use of information and communications technologies in healthcare as much as HMIS in healthcare services organizations (Tan, 2010). As stated above, the main benefit of e-Health is to enhance healthcare locally, regionally, and worldwide by using information and communication technology. Strategic decisions-support applications are applications that analyze business data and present it so that users can make business decisions more easily.
Assume that you are a senior health administrator responsible for the health information systems within your organization, and create an argument to be presented to the leaders with the organization that a strategic plan is essential for the IM/IT. Indicate the most significant elements that the administrator should address in the plan. Provide support for the rationale.
As a senior health administrator, I am responsible for the health information system within my organization and I also help establish the health care standards, make strategic policy decisions and implement the personnel management procedures necessary to support the organizations vision. In addressing the leaders of the organization, I would let them know that I have noticed that there needs to be a strategic plan in place for the IM/IT department. I would also let them know that with globalization and an increased level of government intervention, developing a strategic plan is essential for the IM/IT to remain competitive. However, there are two significant elements that should be addressed in this plan. The first one is IT security. IT security is important because patients records needs to secure and protected. If the IT system is not secure, patient’s identity can be stolen. The second significant element that should be addressed is IT infrastructure. IT infrastructure is important because it
IM/IT ANALYSIS offers the best guidelines for all aspects of the IT services. As long as IT infrastructure is in place, there should not be a problem with the IT system in the organization. Infrastructure is a guidance plan for the IT department to follow for quality improvement.
Assess the importance of a systems development life cycle as it pertains to both the development of a custom application, coupled with the selection of proprietary systems. Provide an example to support the response. http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/corporate-services/imit-reports-plan-155.htm states, Departmental planning supports all aspects of the departmental program delivery. One of these is IM/IT planning, which is an integral component of the planning cycle since it provides the foundation for the use of technology, information and resources to support the business goals and objectives. Consultation and validation of program priorities is a critical step in the IM/IT planning process.
Recommend the key element necessary to ensure secure access to health care and patient information within a health care management electronic system. Provide support for the recommendation.
My recommendation to ensure secure access to health care and patient information within a health care management electronic system would be (EHR). The implementation of (EHR) electronic health record system finds that clinical and administrative leaders built EHR adoption into their strategic plans to integrate inpatient and outpatient care and provide a continuum of coordinated services. Due this implementation, the EHR facilitate patient safety and quality improvement through use of checklists, alerts, and predictive tools, embedded clinical guidelines that promote standardized, evidence-based practices; electronic prescribing
IM/IT ANALYSIS and test-ordering that reduces errors and redundancy; and discrete data fields that foster use of performance dashboards and compliance reports.
Make at least two recommendations for improving the application of systems theory to health care IM/IT governance and planning. Provide specific examples to support the response. http://www.bpcgallery.com/governance.htm states, the goal of effective IM/IT governance is to ensure that all IM/IT initiatives have been managed from an organization-wide perspective and that they contribute to the institution's strategic business goals. Two ways for improving the application for systems theory to health care IM/IT governance and planning is to provide the applications necessary to process transactions that are important to program and service delivery, including both program-specific and administrative functions and providing the means to ensure the effective collaboration and coordination of programs and services with other staff, client and suppliers. A more effective IM/IT governance framework will strengthen the performance and expediency of decision making in the public sector and maximize the contribution of IM/IT in enhancing and enabling program delivery.
Conclusion
Health IT has improved patients safety, healthcare quality, efficiency and data collection and has helped restrain rising cost. Health information technology encompasses a broad array of technologies involved in managing and sharing patient information electronically than paper.
With all the tools in place for the IT/IM departments the healthcare system should flow effective and efficiency without errors.

IM/IT ANALYSIS
References:
• Joseph Tan with Fay Cobb Payton. (2010). Adaptive Health Management Information Systems.
• http://www.bpcgallery.com/governance.htm retrieved via internet on August 17, 2013
• http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/corporate-services/imit-reports-plan-155.htm retrieved via internet on August 17, 2013
• http://cba.uah.edu/guptaj/m680/erpbenefits.pdf retrieved via internet on August 17, 2013
• http://www.allhealth.org/publications/health_information_technology/health_information_technology_toolkit.asp retrieved via internet on August 17, 2013