CS6161 Health Informatics Applications Assignment The Form

Cs6161 Health Informatics Applications Assignmentthe Form Chosen By

The assignment focuses on improving resident notes documentation in nursing homes by allowing visiting healthcare professionals (HCPs) to access and update electronic health records via the EPIC Care system. It discusses current limitations, security concerns, and proposes a new system to enable authorized external healthcare workers to write notes electronically, ensuring data security and enhancing patient care.

Paper For Above instruction

In contemporary healthcare environments, particularly in nursing homes, the management and documentation of resident care are critical processes that directly impact patient outcomes. The predominant use of electronic medical records (EMRs), such as the EPIC Care system, has revolutionized these processes by offering centralized, accessible, and comprehensive resident data. However, current operational protocols restrict access to internal staff, limiting visiting healthcare professionals (HCPs)—such as dieticians, speech therapists, and dentists—from directly recording their observations and interventions in the system. This paper explores the existing system, identifies its limitations, and advocates for a secure, role-based enhancement that facilitates external HCPs to document resident notes electronically, thereby streamlining communication and improving patient outcomes in nursing homes.

Overview of the Current System

The foundation of resident care management within the organization is built upon the EPIC Care electronic medical record system. The platform is sophisticated, tailored to support most clinical activities related to resident care. Access to EPIC Care is managed centrally by the HR and management teams, which allocate user accounts based on job roles. System administrators are responsible for creating and maintaining user IDs and passwords, ensuring that each employee accesses only the information pertinent to their role. For instance, clinical staff such as nurses have comprehensive access to patient data, while healthcare assistants are limited to routine daily activities. Management personnel have full access to all records, aligning with their supervisory and decision-making roles.

Existing Limitations and Risks

Despite its extensive capabilities, the current EPIC system has notable limitations concerning external HCPs. Visiting professionals—such as dieticians and speech therapists—are unable to directly write or update notes in the EMR due to security constraints. Currently, these professionals document their observations on paper, which introduces risks related to information loss, delayed updates, and data fragmentation. Additionally, granting external HCPs full access poses security and privacy concerns, primarily due to data confidentiality, unauthorized access, and potential cyber threats. The system's vulnerabilities include risks of network breaches, malware attacks, equipment failures, and insider threats, which could compromise sensitive resident data. Further, inconsistent documentation methods hinder seamless communication among care teams and may adversely affect the quality of resident care.

Security and Data Privacy Concerns

Healthcare data security is paramount, governed by policies set forth by leadership, including the CEO and Director of Nursing. These policies emphasize safeguarding resident information via access controls, user authentication, and monitoring. Risks associated with expanding external access include unauthorized data viewing, breaches, and malicious attacks by hackers. Thus, introducing an external HCP portal necessitates rigorous security measures, such as role-based access control (RBAC), multi-factor authentication, encryption, regular security audits, and comprehensive staff training. Data privacy laws like HIPAA further mandate strict protocols to prevent misuse or accidental disclosures of protected health information (PHI).

Proposed System Enhancements

The proposed solution involves developing a role-specific, secure portal within the existing EPIC Care infrastructure. This system would permit visiting HCPs to request access to resident records necessary for documenting notes. A structured process would facilitate user account creation, verification, and approval, involving management and system administrators. The process begins with the visiting HCP submitting a request through the portal, including personal and professional details. Management reviews and validates the request, with system administrators creating restricted user IDs that grant access solely to the resident notes function, adhering to the principle of least privilege.

The new system features role-based access controls, ensuring visiting HCPs can only input data related to their scope of practice. For example, a speech therapist might only access and update speech-related notes, preventing access to unrelated resident health information. The system also maintains an audit trail of all record modifications, supporting accountability and compliance.

System Architecture and Data Flow

The architecture integrates external entities such as visiting HCPs, management, HR personnel, and system administrators with internal components like resident and employee databases. The process involves several steps:

  • The visiting HCP submits a request via the portal with personal and professional details.
  • Management verifies the credentials and approves or rejects the request.
  • Upon approval, system administrators create a role-specific user account and send the credentials securely.
  • The visiting HCP logs in to the system and accesses only the designated resident records to document notes.
  • An audit log records each action for security and compliance purposes.

This structured workflow ensures that access is authorized, limited, and monitored, safeguarding resident data while enabling timely documentation by external HCPs.

Security Measures and Best Practices

To mitigate risks associated with external access, several security practices are essential:

  • Authentication and Authorization: Implement multi-factor authentication and RBAC to restrict access appropriately.
  • Encryption: Encrypt data in transit and at rest to prevent interception and unauthorized viewing.
  • Regular Backups and Disaster Recovery: Maintain encrypted backups stored securely off-site to prevent data loss from hardware failures or natural disasters.
  • Network Security: Deploy firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and anti-malware tools to protect against cyber threats.
  • Staff Training and Awareness: Conduct ongoing education on security protocols, phishing prevention, and data privacy laws.
  • Physical Security: Utilize CCTV surveillance, secure server rooms, and access controls to protect hardware assets.

These measures collectively reinforce the organization's cybersecurity posture and ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Implementation challenges and considerations

Implementing such a system requires careful planning, including stakeholder engagement, staff training, and phased deployment to minimize disruption. Resistance to change may occur, necessitating effective communication of benefits and training on new procedures. Moreover, ongoing monitoring and system evaluations are vital to ensure security, usability, and compliance. Additionally, legal considerations around resident data privacy and consent must be addressed, aligning the technology upgrade with applicable healthcare regulations.

Conclusion

The enhancement of the existing EPIC Care system to allow external HCPs to document resident notes electronically represents a significant step toward integrated, efficient, and secure resident care management. By adopting role-based access controls, robust security protocols, and comprehensive training, the organization can mitigate associated risks and improve communication among care providers. This technological advancement aligns with contemporary healthcare trends emphasizing interoperability, data security, and patient-centered care, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes and organizational efficiency.

References

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  • Brewer, N. T., & Hall, J. A. (2020). Security and Privacy in Healthcare Data: Challenges and Solutions. Journal of Medical Systems, 44(7), 113.
  • Henrikson, C., et al. (2021). Security Challenges in Modern Healthcare Information Systems. Computer Journal of Healthcare Informatics, 37(4), 99-111.
  • Kuo, A. M. (2011). Opportunities and Challenges of Cloud Computing in Healthcare. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(3), e67.
  • Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. (2022). Guide to Data Security in Health IT. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
  • Perera, R., et al. (2019). Role-based Access Control in Health Information Systems. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 129, 97-107.
  • Shah, S., et al. (2018). Ensuring Data Privacy and Security in Healthcare: A Review. Journal of Health Informatics Research, 2(2), 124-135.
  • Standards and Regulations for Health Information Privacy. (2023). HIPAA Privacy Rule. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
  • Troncoso, C., et al. (2020). Security and Privacy in Telemedicine and Healthcare Systems. Frontiers in Computer Science, 2, 14.
  • Wang, F., et al. (2019). Interoperability in Electronic Health Records: A Roadmap for Heterogeneous Data Integration. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 95, 103208.

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