Information technology systems have brought a revolution in the healthcare sector through innovative solutions. As it is most healthcare institutions aware of the significance of information technology systems, have adopted these systems to facilitate its operations. These institutions use the IT systems to ensure that their patients receive optimum, quality, prompt and affordable healthcare services. However, there is a need for the healthcare sector to involve responsible IT specialists to ensure that they effectively achieve these objectives. In essence, the leading IT specialists who complement the healthcare IT systems are Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO). These specialists work with other stakeholders to ensure that the healthcare IT systems are secure, efficient, and up to date to enhance the privacy of their patients. As it is the healthcare IT systems must endeavor to comply with the solid strategic plan to ensure an active IT alignment.
Responsibilities and Characteristics of Chief Information Officer
Chief Information Officers are essential staff members in any health care institutions and facility, which is keen on using IT systems in healthcare delivery services. In essence, the CIO plays a significant role when it comes to making decisions concerning the acquisition of modalities in patient care, which are newer, innovative and advanced (Glaser, 2016). Such patterns include telemedicine and remote patient monitoring which help shape the way healthcare systems are operated. Moreover, the CIO is tasked with doing a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the resources to be utilized in acquiring technologically advanced devices will be worth considering. As such, a Chief Information Officer is a critical decision-maker, and his decisions influenced the kind of services that a healthcare facility will offer (Louchart, 2012). A Chief Information Officer ensures that Information Technology systems in a particular institution are updated, practical, and innovative. Furthermore, the Chief Information Officer is a significant contributor to an institution’s strategic plan based on application, infrastructure, and analytics implemented to complement the day-to-day activities of health care institutions (Glaser, 2016).
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Chief Information Officers must possess specific key characteristics if they are to make a significant contribution to the healthcare sector. In the first place, a CIO must be competent enough in IT systems to be considered for the post, which is deemed demanding and crucial. Moreover, a CIO should be an adaptable person who is capable of adapting to the new environment and technological changes without any complaints. Additionally, a CIO must be credible with an ability to establish trust with the other individuals he will work with during his tenure. This characteristic is essential considering that the CIO must interact with other stakeholders from time to time in an effort to create an effective healthcare IT system. Above all, a CIO must possess excellent communication skills, which will come in handy when interacting with other stakeholders.
Chief Technology Officer Responsibilities and Characteristics
Chief Technology Officers just like the Chief Information Officers play a crucial role in ensuring that healthcare institutions achieve their objectives through IT. The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the healthcare institution implements technological solutions to enhance service delivery. Moreover, it is the role of the CTO to head, advice and collaborate with the engineering team working on the IT systems in the healthcare institution. Furthermore, the CTO makes use of several technical strategies with the aim of enhancing the services meant for the various stakeholders (Hoven, 2011). The Chief Technology Officer has a responsibility of leveraging new technologies based on the existing technological infrastructure and operations to enhance services and products.
A Chief Technology Officer must possess specific crucial characteristics to enhance his ability to work on healthcare Information Technology systems. First, a CTO must be an individual with a rich technical background to improve an understanding of the technologies that will be used. Moreover, a CTO must possess excellent operational and managerial skills, which will help him to demonstrate strong leadership and business-oriented mindset. Above all, a CTO just like a CIO must possess excellent communication skills to make the best out of his interactions with other stakeholders.
Technologies that Healthcare Systems Should Use To Improve Healthcare Outcomes
Healthcare institutions are continually embracing new and advanced technologies in an attempt to deliver quality and affordable services to their patients. Some of the technologies adopted so far include telemedicine and remote patient monitoring technologies. These technologies help connect the patients and healthcare providers in real time and at a much cheaper rate. The reason for this is the fact that patients do not need to visit a healthcare facility to get medical advice. They can do it from the comfort of their homes. In the end, patients get quality healthcare services as they deal with professionals as well as cut costs, which would have emanated from travel and admission fees.
Methods that Healthcare Systems Should Use To Protect Data Privacy and Thus Achieve a High Level of Security of Health Information
Healthcare institutions usually deal with sensitive and critical patient information and data. As such, caution should be taken to ensure that this information is secure in that it does not fall into the wrong hands. A failure to secure this sensitive data can lead to increased lawsuits as patients sue the healthcare institutions for mishandling patients’ health information. Healthcare institutions should thus invest in newer and advances security systems to reduce the number of individuals with access to this information. In essence, the best solutions lie with making use of access codes, passwords, and thumbprint identification. Consequently, it becomes easier to track down individuals in the case where there is a breach of patient health information.
Strategy for Training Providers in Using Technology in Healthcare
Healthcare providers are the major stakeholders in any healthcare institution, and as such, they should be trained on how to work with the technological solutions and systems. As it is healthcare provides cannot escape the fact that in this era no institution can survive without information technology. With this in mind, the top management at healthcare institutions must continually train their healthcare providers regarding the intricacies of these technologies (Thimbleby, 2013). In particular, the management can organize training workshops where they outsource experts in technological solutions. Moreover, the medical providers can be given a chance to interact with the technologies and as a result, gain greater insight since it will be a hands-on experience. Consequently, the healthcare providers can appreciate these technologies even more and make a point of integrating them into their daily healthcare delivery process.
Best Practices For Effective IT Alignment and Strategic Planning Initiatives
Best practices in IT alignment refer to the methodologies, strategies, interventions, and techniques that IT departments use to ensure that IT works for the wellbeing of the concerned stakeholders. As it is, Information Technology in healthcare institutions is here to stay and as such, there is need to align the IT systems to comply with the set objectives. In essence, the IT should assist the healthcare institutions to offer quality and affordable healthcare services. However, these healthcare institutions should adopt some best practices to ensure this alignment is efficient and achievable. Some of the available practices that can be put to use include:
Ensuring that the IT Director is a Strategist
The IT director plays a critical role in ensuring that an institution’s IT systems are updated and running effectively. If an institution is to have an effective IT alignment program, it is advisable to ensure that the IT director is a strategist. The reason for this is the fact that a strategist would be in a better position to align the institutions IT needs to the institution's strategic plan. In essence, it would help if the IT director would be a part of the executive management, which is the center of all major decisions.
Working closely with an IT Advisory Board
An IT advisory board is a very crucial element in a healthcare institution, which is keen on aligning its IT to match with its strategic plans. The IT advisory board usually comes up with IT policies, which govern the technological systems as well as coming up with effective strategic planning in IT. However, the advisory committee should be conversant with an institutions vision and objectives if it is to come up with effective decisions regarding IT implementation (Bhavnani, 2016). Moreover, the board needs to understand the existing technology environment to come up with custom-made technological solutions for a specific healthcare institution.
Monitoring and Evaluation of the IT Strategic Plan Progress
Information Technology systems require constant monitoring and evaluation to ensure that they align with an institution's strategic plan. It is recommended to conduct occasional monitoring and assessment at least every 12 to 18 months. This review should involve the major stakeholders so that their feedback can be put into consideration to enhance the working of the IT systems. Consequently, the results should be submitted to the top management so that they can seal any loopholes, which may come in the way of achieving their set objectives.
In conclusion, Information Technology is an integral part of most healthcare institutions, which are keen on providing quality and affordable healthcare services. In line with these most healthcare institutions has invested heavily in installing IT solutions as well as hiring IT expertise. The most notable IT experts include Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). These experts work in collaboration with other stakeholders to implement monitor and evaluate healthcare information systems. Moreover, the healthcare institutions adopt various best practices to ensure that IT functions for the best of these institutions. One way the institutions do is align IT with the institution's strategic plan by enlisting the help of its advisory board and strategists. At the end of it, investment in IT solutions aids healthcare providers to offer quality, affordable and prompt health care services to its diverse patients.
References
Bhavnani, S. (2016). Mobile technology and the digitization of healthcare. Oxford Journals, 37(18), 1428-438.
Glaser, J. (2016). The evolution of the healthcare chief information officer: Competencies required of CIOs growing in depth and breadth. Hospitals and Health Magazine . Retrieved on 25 May 2018 from https://www.hhnmag.com/articles/6912-john-glaser-the-evolution-of-the-health-care-chief-information-officer.
Hoven, C. R. (2011). The role and contribution of the Chief Technology Officer (doctoral thesis). Cambridge University: Cambridge, UK. .
Louchart, E. S. (2012) The changing role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO): an inquiry into the demands, constraints, and choices of the CIO (Doctoral thesis). The University of Northampton: Northampton, UK.
Thimbleby, H. (2013). Technology and the Future of Healthcare. Journal of Public Health Research, 2(3):e28.
