Recent developments at the Featherfall Medical Center

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Imagine you have been contracted to consult on the recent developments at the Featherfall Medical Center. Featherfall has been struggling of late; it has had a series of problems that have prompted your hiring. It has faced the following issues:

Featherfall has recently violated several government regulations regarding the current state of its technology and how it is being used. The technology system is vastly out of date, and staff are not always using the technology that is in place or they are using the technology inappropriately. These problems have lost the institution lots of money for not meeting government regulations and have caused operational and ethical problems from inefficient and ineffective use of technology.
The staff at Featherfall are not well-trained on the use of technology and do not communicate appropriately about technology use. The roles that pertinent to your consult are the health information management team, the clinical staff (doctors, nurses, etc.), and administrative staff. The health information management team uses proper coding practices, and the current technology system serves them well, despite its age. However, other roles in the hospital have had issues with the system. Clinical staff, for instance, have had record-keeping issues both due to lack of training on the system and the system itself being out of date. Administrative staff within the organization have taken issue with the lack of communication about the technology and its use between the various roles. When the current technology system was chosen many years ago, the needs of these various roles were not considered.
You will begin by preparing for your consultation. You will analyze the history of the field as well as determine standard guidelines for technology use and standard technologies used in the field. You will also prepare information for Feather fall regarding the ramifications for violating health laws and regulations. Finally, you will use this information to review technology options that could be implemented at the institution.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

Preparation for Consult: In this section of your final project, you will prepare for your consultation on the organization’s technology choice. To prepare, you will analyze the field of health information management for determining standard technologies and guidelines related to technology use in order to inform your technology selection.
Analyze key historical events in the field of health informatics for how technology has been used that could inform the management of health information. Be sure to support your response with appropriate examples.
Determine guidelines for technology use in the field of health information management that Featherfall could implement. Be sure to support your response with research.
Determine the standard technologies currently used in the field of health information management. Be sure to support your response with research. For example, what record-keeping technologies are typically used in the field?
Develop an overview of how the pertinent roles described at Feather fall would interact with technology.
Describe the process you would use to evaluate new health information technology systems. Be sure that your process will evaluate new systems based on how they meet the needs of the organization and how they are compliant with health regulations and laws.
Health Regulations and Laws Ramifications: In this section of your final project, you will finish your preparation by reviewing and explaining the ramifications for the organization if it decides to wait on addressing its recent violations regarding technology use.
Determine how violating health regulations and laws regarding technology could impact the finances of the institution if these violations are not addressed. Be sure to support your response with examples.
Determine how violating health regulations and laws regarding technology could impact the daily operations of the institution if these violations are not addressed. Be sure to support your response with examples.
Determine how violating health regulations and laws regarding technology could impact the security of the health information in the institution if these violations are not addressed. Be sure to support your response with examples.
Technology System Recommendations: In this final section of your final project, you will review the provided technology options and make informed recommendations to the organization regarding which technology it should choose.
Determine the needs of the various roles of the organization in a new technology.

 

Sample Solution

Consultation Report: Featherfall Medical Center Technology Assessment

 

This report serves as a preparatory document for the consultation with Featherfall Medical Center. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the health information management field, the risks of inaction, and a framework for selecting and implementing new technology.

 

Part 1: Preparation for Consult

 

 

Analyze Key Historical Events in Health Informatics

 

The field of health informatics has undergone a profound transformation, driven by a series of key historical events that have informed the management of health information.

  • The Rise of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) in the 1980s and 90s: Early EMR systems were often isolated and designed for specific departments, primarily for administrative tasks like billing. This historical event serves as a cautionary tale for Featherfall, as it highlights the pitfalls of choosing technology that fails to consider the needs of the entire organization. The fragmentation and lack of interoperability seen in early EMRs directly mirrors the current communication and usage issues between Featherfall’s clinical and administrative staff.
  • The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996: HIPAA mandated national standards for the protection of sensitive patient health information (PHI). This was a monumental shift that forced healthcare organizations to prioritize data privacy and security. Featherfall’s current non-compliance with regulations likely stems from failing to adapt to the more stringent security and privacy requirements that have evolved since this legislation.
  • The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009: This act provided significant federal incentives for the “Meaningful Use” of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. This event dramatically accelerated EHR adoption across the country, establishing modern, integrated EHR systems as the industry standard. Featherfall’s outdated system is a direct consequence of not participating in this large-scale industry shift, leaving it far behind its peers in both technology and regulatory compliance.

 

Determine Guidelines for Technology Use

 

To address its current issues, Featherfall must implement a robust set of guidelines for technology use. These guidelines are rooted in established industry standards.

  • HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules: As the foundational legal framework, all technology use must adhere to these rules. The HIPAA Security Rule mandates the use of technical, physical, and administrative safeguards to protect PHI. For Featherfall, this means implementing strong access controls, encryption for data at rest and in transit, and a formal security awareness training program for all staff.
  • ONC Certification Criteria: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) sets certification criteria for EHR technology. Adopting an ONC-certified EHR ensures the system meets essential standards for interoperability, patient safety, and data security. This would directly address Featherfall’s outdated technology and compliance issues.
  • Professional Best Practices: Organizations like the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) provide best practice guidelines. For instance, AHIMA promotes the use of a data governance framework to ensure data integrity, quality, and security across the organization. Implementing such a framework would improve communication and standardize data practices between Featherfall’s HIM and clinical staff.

 

Determine Standard Technologies Currently Used

 

The healthcare industry has largely converged on a core set of standard technologies. Featherfall’s outdated system is likely lacking many of these modern components.

  • Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems: Modern EHRs like those from vendors such as Epic, Cerner, and Meditech are the central nervous system of a medical institution. They are integrated, comprehensive platforms that handle everything from patient registration and scheduling to clinical documentation, order entry, and billing. The fact that Featherfall’s clinical staff has record-keeping issues indicates its current system is not a true, integrated EHR.

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