Communication and Information Technology Essay

Technological advancement have improved and eased the communication process. With the world revolving around technology, almost all tasks have been simplified consequently reducing the number of hours that one can perform a certain task. It has helped in the organizing information, thus enabling access and retrieval of information easy. The use of technology has helped many organizations cut on costs at the same time increasing efficiency and promptness in service delivery. In the medical arena, most of the up to the standard hospitals or healthcare systems have adopted the use of technology in delivering of their services. This has brought about comfortably and the feeling of appreciation to the patient or the person who is being served as it gives an aura of value for money and the sense of embrace of technology in this technological era. Electronic Medical Records is one of these technologies (Kluge, 2001). With the capacity to hold limitless information and being able to be changed to fit the current need, this technology has helped in the healthcare practitioners to deliver services in a more organized manner and without having delays as compared to if everything was done manually. Consequentially, this reduces costs and improves the picture of the organization at the same time fostering monitoring ability of the organization of the number of clients visiting the healthcare facility. Electronic Medical Record is computerized kind of information keeping in which information is compressed as it is converted in a digital format. This allows for consumption of minimal space while keeping the office of operation clean, tidy and attractive (Fins, 2008). This creation of space enables the expansion of services offered in the healthcare facility as there is more space of operation. Access of information becomes easy and convenient thus increasing the morale of the staff in service delivery. It offsets the possibility of committing unnecessary mistakes while delivering services because of handwritten records which are not legible. This program makes it possible transfer information from one healthcare system to another thus making it possible to treat patients in the shortest time possible as their medical records are delivered in the shortest time possible electronically. By use of this technology, it is possible for parents to monitor their kids’ wellbeing without having extra cost of travelling to where they are to check on their progress. It also makes it possible for patients to assess their medical record and also get their results without much problem of waiting till they are given to them manually. Other electronic communication delivery services like the use of voice over have helped in the reduction of the amount of work that one does in calling patients manually so that they can be attended to. It is just a simple task of just announcing a patients name and they go to the corresponding room in which they will be served. This has increased efficiency and effectiveness in serving clients (Fins, 2008). This sets a kind of an order which they patients follow and allowing for easy dissemination of information, loud enough for everyone to hear, thus, patients do not have to suffer the discomfiture of not having heard their names being mentioned by a caller physically since this system is fitted with speakers loud enough to be heard clearly. Other technologies like the Practice management software ensure the smooth running of the healthcare system giving medical practitioners a humble time in their operations on a daily basis. This wads off possibilities of confusion and lets them (medical practitioners) operate in an orderly manner. The information which this software can handle is all inclusive and does not only include the client’s bio data but also other aspects of the healthcare organization like bills and transactions going on. (Klug, 2001) It works just the same way as the EMR only that it comprises of the management aspect of healthcare system in its daily operations. Apart from keeping a track on patients’ conditions and appointments, the system is used to develop bills and keep a record on the same so that thee reports can be used whenever need arises. It keeps every transaction and activity on record so that it becomes possible for any practitioner to know what was done the previous day and by who, which patient was attended to and by who so that he/she is able to know exactly where to start as concerns a specific task. This just as the EMRs has a way of cutting costs and increasing effectiveness. This is because all information as concerns any patient is stored electronically and retrieved with ease when need arises, thus avoiding the possibility of confusing one’s medical data with another persons (Fins, 2008). This enables a medical practitioner to prescribe the right medicine to the right person while at the same time allowing for generation of information about the right bills for the client in accordance to the medical procedures and medication accorded to him or her. Other systems like the electronic health systems keep a full medical history of a patient. It keeps essential information that can be used by the doctor or any medical practitioner to offer quick and effective diagnosis of a patient. All healthcare reports about a certain patient are stored in this system including drugs prescribed to the patient every time he/she attends that healthcare facility. It is also inclusive of all test results of that particular patient as well as x-rays and the response of the patient towards a certain medication. All this information is essential for up to level health care treatment of any patient. It keeps off the agony of a patient for having to answer tedious questions about their past medical history every time they visit a healthcare facility, as information about them is stored electronically and retrieved on every visit. This medical history is updated time to time on the occasions that a client visits for the purpose of seeking for treatment. The use of electronic technology in healthcare systems has more pros than cons. This is because as enumerated above, it has advantages to both the client and the healthcare facility. The fact that it increases efficiency and effectiveness can not be underscored while at the same time reducing operating costs of the facility. Clients are served to their liking and while their medical record is kept safely and is retrieved during the time of need with a lot of ease (Kluge, 2001). One of the major disadvantages is that information about a patient can be copied maliciously and tampered with. If the entire system should break down, then volumes and volumes of information are lost. It would be a good thing if all the above system could be integrated into one piece. This will ease operation even more as all the operations are under one click of a ‘mouse’. It could also be improved in such a way that clients can access their information wherever and whenever they are. Reference Fins, J. (2008). Web of Care: How Will the Electronic Medical Record Change Medicine? The Hastings Center Report, Vol. 38, pp. 67-88 Kluge, E. (2001). The Ethics of Electronic Patient Record