Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Description

Answer the following questions Describe information technology or information systems used in the facility. • Identify the name of the system and the vendor (e.g., Chart Locator software by 3M, Sunrise software by Eclipsys, etc.). If you have chosen to describe a technology, identify its name, such as Picture Archiving and Communication Technology (PACS). • Describe the system as explained by the interviewer or other sources of information. Consider the following questions or prompts in your description: o What is the purpose or function; what does the system do? For example: registration, billing, coding, computerized physician order entry [CPOE], nursing notes, picture archiving communication system [PACS], medication administration, e-prescribing, claims processing, finance system, etc.) o What type of data is entered in it; where does the data come from (manual entry, transfer from another system, etc.); what does the system do with that data (store only?; allows editing?, allows updates?; enable transmission to another organization?) o Does the system generate any reports; does it have any analytical tools? If so, how is it used in decisionmaking? o Is this system considered part of the electronic health record (EHR)? If so, based on your knowledge, comment on whether the system would be considered a source, core clinical “EHR”, supporting infrastructure, or connectivity system. o Does the system connect to or interface with other systems? If so, which ones? What does that connection or interface do? Why is it needed? o Is the system user friendly (easy to use)? Is the screen layout efficient? o Is the system secure? Does the system have built-in tools to assure data completeness and accuracy? Does the system go down often? o Do vendors support the maintenance and updates of the system? o What do users do if they have a problem or a glitch? Who helps them resolve it? o Classify the system (to the best of your ability) based on the description you are given (e.g., clinical, administrative, decision support, transaction-processing, MIS, EIS, etc.) and what you have learned from Sayles, chapters 14 and 15