Essay Question:
From a systems approach, explain the synergy between administrative and CISs. Choose three administrative systems and three clinical systems cited in the text and describe the interactions and dependencies among these systems. Address how a failure in one system might potentially affect any of the other systems. From an interoperability perspective, explain the level of operability that must be met.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
A systems approach is vital in understanding the integration of administrative and clinical systems in the healthcare industry. The synergy of administrative and CISs is essential in enhancing patient care and operational efficiency in healthcare institutions. This essay examines the interdependence and interactions between three administrative and three clinical systems. Additionally, the essay addresses the effects of a failure in one system on the other systems and the level of interoperability necessary for these systems to operate efficiently.
Answer:
The integration of administrative and clinical systems is vital in improving the quality of healthcare services offered. The interactions between various administrative and clinical systems play a vital role in ensuring the smooth running of healthcare institutions. Administrative systems, such as the Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), and Human Resource Management (HRM), depend on clinical systems such as Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS), and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS).
EMRs are essential in capturing patients’ medical histories, diagnoses, and treatments, while CPOE provides computerized orders for medication, laboratory procedures, and radiology services. Therefore, a failure in CPOE could adversely affect EMRs, making it impossible to capture accurate patient data. Similarly, a malfunction in PACS would result in an inability to store, retrieve, and view medical images and reports, affecting both administrative and clinical systems.
RCM is crucial in managing billing, payment, and revenue management in healthcare institutions. CDSS offers patient-specific recommendations for clinicians by utilizing data from EMRs and other clinical systems. Consequently, failure in CDSS could affect the accuracy and quality of the recommendations made to clinicians. A failure in RCM would adversely affect billing and payments, ultimately affecting the institution’s overall revenue management.
The level of interoperability necessary for these systems to operate efficiently is critical. It requires a particular degree of collaboration between administrative and clinical systems. An operational system should use common data elements and enterprise vocabularies to ensure proper data sharing and communication between systems. Additionally, interoperability should enable scalability, flexibility, security, and data management while considering data privacy and regulatory requirements.
Conclusion:
A systems approach provides a comprehensive overview and understanding of the synergy between administrative and clinical systems. Healthcare institutions must strive to integrate these systems to enhance patient care, operational efficiency, and revenue management. The smooth running of these systems depends on the interdependence, interactions, and level of interoperability between administrative and clinical systems. As such, healthcare providers should consider factors such as scalability, flexibility, and data privacy when designing and deploying these systems.
