Case Study, Stage 2: EHR Technology Solution Proposal

Before you begin this assignment, be sure you have read the “UMUC Family Clinic Case Study”, your syllabus readings, and feedback on your graded Stage 1.

Purpose of this Assignment

This assignment gives you the opportunity to apply your analysis and research skills and your knowledge of technology solutions and EHR systems to improve a business process. In this assignment, you will evaluate technology solutions in the healthcare industry, i.e. Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, to improve the quality of care. This assignment specifically addresses the following course outcomes to enable you to:

• Evaluate technology solutions in the health care industry to improve the quality of care, safety, and financial management incentives.

 

UMUC Family Clinic Medical Practice

In your Stage 1 Project, you analyzed a process and modelled the AS IS process. You then optimized the process/workflow and modeled the TO BE process.

For your Stage 2 Project for the Case Study, you will evaluate EHR system solutions and propose a technology solution that will improve the process you modelled in Stage 1 and improve the quality of care, safety, and financial management incentives for the UMUC Family Clinic.

Be sure to read the instructions for the remaining projects in this Case Study (Stages 3-4) to get an understanding of the future projects that build on the proposed solution and to help you in deciding upon your solution.

Assignment

 

Technology Solution Proposal:  Using the textbook and external resources, write a short single-spaced paper 1-2 pages in length, not including References page and cover sheet, responding to the bulleted items below.  Remember to correctly cite and reference your sources with APA format.  Use the Grading Rubric to be sure you have covered everything.

Create a document that includes the following:

1. In this assignment you have selected a process.  This should be provided at the beginning of this paper to set the stage.  At the beginning of your paper show:

PROCESS TO BE IMPROVED:__________________________

1. Briefly explain the business process identified in Stage 1 and why/how it could benefit from an EHR system.  (This should be done in 2 or 3 sentences.)
2. Propose a specific certified EHR system.  Note:  It’s tempting to propose integrating lots of new technology but focus on a single solution that you would expect to improve the process you identified and modeled.

• To accomplish this, you will need to look up the up-to-date list of certified complete EHRs on the ONC website at the following URL and then complete the steps that follow:http://oncchpl.force.com/ehrcert/

 

• You will want to search using the following search criteria, each step on a separate page:
  • Selected Edition Attestation: 2014
  • Select “Browse All Products”
  • Select Practice Type: Ambulatory
  • Check box at top of chart “See Complete Products Only”
• Review some of the EHRs that are listed there, and select one that addresses the process area you identified for improvement in Stage 1.  You could refer to the “Certification Criteria,” in Content>Course Resources, to align the process area you chose for Stage 1 with an appropriate EHR solution that addresses that process area.  (Note that not all EHR systems address all process areas.)
• You will then provide in your paper the following bulleted information on the certified EHR that you have selected:
  • Product: ___________________
  • Version: ___________________
  • Additional Software Required: ___________________
  • Certifying Body: ___________________
  • CHPL Product Number: ___________________                     *you can find this number by clicking on the name of the EHR which will open “Certification Criteria Detail View”

List the major hardware, software and communications (including local connectivity and internet access, if appropriate) components that will be needed.  Once you have selected your EHR system in Step 3 of this assignment, you need to visit the vendor’s website to see the major hardware/software requirements. How many of each you list is dependent on the solution you propose, but the important components needed to implement your proposed solution should be included.  For example, you may have one PC for the front desk and one for each of the 3 examination rooms, and they will have to connect to some system somewhere.  Or you may decide to have 1 PC for the front office, and a tablet or laptop for each of the doctor and the two nurses, also connected to some system somewhere.  Your list should be applicable to your proposed solution, to your proposed improved process, and be appropriate for the UMUC Family Clinic.  (Remember, there is currently no information technology implemented at the clinic other than the outdated scheduling software.) You will also need to specify if your EHR system will be installed on the clinic computer equipment or if it will run as “Software as a Service” (SaaS) via the Internet.  (For a definition of SaaS, please see the note in the box below.)  You will need to evaluate the clinic’s needs and the vendor’s offering.  There are advantages to selecting SaaS for smaller clinics, like reducing the need for an IT staff, but it also comes with a price tag.  You will need to provide the reasoning behind your selection. Explain how the proposed technology solution will improve the process, quality of care, safety, and/or financial management decisions at the UMUC Family Clinic.

SaaS:  Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a software delivery model, where the actual software and the data are hosted at the location of the software provider.  The users access the software or the data using a ‘thin client’ such as a web-browser. That way the actual users of the software do not need to install the entire software and save the data on their own hardware. The provider of the software is the one who incurs all the responsibility of making the software and data available, backing it up, and restoring from backup when needed. Hence, the users don’t need to incur hardware costs or hire on-staff IT. This model is becoming more and more popular especially for small businesses when it is not in their business model to hire an IT staff.Example: An example of a common business accounting software that is offered in more than 1 delivery model is Intuit’s Quickbooks. A small business owner can buy the software for a one-time fee (cost of purchase, e.g. $300) at Office Depot, install it on his own PC and start entering his financial data. This delivery model, the software and data reside on the PC. If the PC crashes, all the data is lost unless the entrepreneur was IT-savvy and backed up his data on a CD or USB.  The data can only be accessed on that computer.

1. Determine, within the health care setting, the main features, capabilities, and operational benefits to a health care organization using the following:
   1. patient care applications
   2. management and enterprise systems
   3. e-Health applications
   4. strategic decision-support applications

Provide specific examples of each.

 

1. Assume that you are a senior health service 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Make at least two (2) recommendations for improving the application of systems theory to health care IM / IT governance and planning. Provide specific examples to support the response.
5. Use at least four (4) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

 

 

 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

 

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.