Description
Discussion Question
Discuss how the United States healthcare system has advanced in technology and how health informatics evolved from being a concept to becoming a discipline or specialty. Emphasize the importance of the formation of professional organizations and educational programs in advancing health informatics as a field. As you begin to conduct research, explore (and cite in your discussion) an early journal article or excerpt from a seminal book on the topic of health informatics. If applicable, how has informatics evolved since then?
Required:
Reply to 2 classmates threads, identifying at least 1 strength and 1 weakness in each classmates reasoning. Each reply must be at least 450 words. Each thread and reply must include at least 1 biblical integration and 2 peer reviewed source citations in current APA format in addition to the textbooks.
Classmates Post;
Advancements in technology have vastly improved the healthcare that is available in the U.S. Major changes in the U.S. healthcare delivery system have been demarcated by four historical periods, as delineated in Shi & Singhs textbook, and these are as follows: the preindustrial era, the postindustrial era, the corporate era, and healthcare reform (Shi & Singh, 2019).
Record-keeping documentation and healthcare informatics are an area that has vastly grown in recent years with improvements in electronic health records and computer processing. This has made a huge difference in how patients consume care. Before electronic data exchange, communication was much less accessible between doctors and pharmacies, between different doctors, and between doctors and hospitals. Now physicians use of an electronic based health record system has increased from 18% in 2001 to 57% in 2011. It has allowed for healthcare to become more connected and for the development of integrated care such as that seen in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Not only has this improved communication between providers, 80% of Americans who have access to their health information use it. Recently it was recorded that 17 million patients use mobile devices to access health information. Mobile healthcare related apps are additionally becoming more user friendly and allow the population to be better informed about their healthcare (Electronic Health Records Infographic, 2019).
Shortly after World War 2, Drs. Ledley and Lusted published their research regarding the possible roles that computers could play in helping to diagnose medical disease through the use of logic and probability (Ledley & Lusted, 1959). Today this has grown to using computers to streamline all sorts of workflows for medical clinics and hospitals including patient scheduling, practice management software, electronic health records, medical billing software, patient portals. E-prescribing, telemedicine and telehealth, and also quality reporting and analytics (The history, 2020).
The formation of professional organizations and educational programs served to advance health informatics as a field. The founding of the International Society of Cybernetic Medicine in 1958 and 1962s new journal called Methods of Information in Medicine (MIM) both highlighted the work being done in medical documentation and statistics (The history, 2020). The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) was formed in the early part of the 20th century while the American Medical Informatics Association arose in the late 80s. Now, we are beginning to see that while health informatics and health information management are separate fields, there is an increasing overlap of educational coursework and required skill sets between the two. This is exemplified by the collaborative relationship between the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) (Shanholtzer & Ozanich, 2016).
In the Bible we see the importance of applying knowledge that is based on detailed record-keeping with the example from the first chapter of the book of Joshua where God commissions Joshua as He states This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Joshua 1:8). Genealogies, histories, and lessons were included in the Pentateuch of Moses and these were given utmost importance as Joshua led Israel to settle in the promised land.
References
Electronic health records infographic. HealthIT.gov. (2019, August 29). Retrieved June 23rd, 2022, from https://www.healthit.gov/infographic/electronic-health-records-infographic.
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/.
The history of health informatics. Kent. (2020, October 5). Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/ischool/health-informatics/community/history-of-health-informatics#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20health%20informatics%20begins%20almost%2070%20years%20ago,problems%20in%20biology%20and%20medicine.
