Considering how the technological wave has changed numerous elements of modern lifestyle, it seemed inevitable the healthcare industry would not escape its own disruption. This paper will examine the role of clinical informatics in improving patient outcomes. The focus will be on the tactical, managerial, and political levels.
For the purpose of clarity, it is necessary to distinguish clinical informatics from informatics. Generally, informatics is the study, plan, and use of information technology to any industry or public service. Applying this to the healthcare industry, informatics is the study, strategy, and use of information technology to improve human health (Huber, 2013). Similarly, clinical informatics incorporates all the medical science fields. Therefore, the differences between informatics and clinical informatics are in scale and scope; the latter is in the former as a specialized field.
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At this point, the paper will focus on the tactical role of clinical informatics in patient outcomes. Clinical informatics makes at least 3 distinct contributions to improving patient care. First, it provides systems that reduce the likelihood of human error in healthcare. Considering the significant cost involved in addressing medical error, clinical informatics reduces costs and saves effort (Huber, 2013). Third, these systems improve the patient’s ability to self-manage their illnesses. These are some of the readily apparent contributions of the titled topic to patient care.
Having highlighted their impact at the tactical level, it is only appropriate to shift focus to the managerial level. Daily operations comprise numerous standardized processes that also produce large data volumes. Clinical informatics systems have data analyzing capabilities. Their usage in healthcare settings has led to the elimination of unnecessary processes and cost savings. Tying this to patient care, hospitals are able to quickly determine drug efficacy and readmission trends (Huber, 2013). Similarly, these systems are being used to profile high-risk patients. Through the use of a disease registry, managers have information on patient populations that are vulnerable to certain conditions or those whose clinical needs are not adequately addressed. Due to their application in daily operations, these systems provide unprecedented amounts of information. It is this volume of information that is applied in advancing research (Huber, 2013). Clinical informatics, therefore, is making a significant contribution to the future practice of medicine. At the strategic level, it is readily apparent that these systems improve efficiency, help identify high-risk patients, and promote research.
Clinical informatics, in the form of electronic health records (EHRs), provide some political level implications. In 2004, President Bush mandated EHR adoption as a political level response to the fractious nature of the American healthcare delivery system. Not only did this mean that providers could not share patient health information easily, but the lack of information also contributed to fatalities and financial costs (Huber, 2013). The implementation timeframe was informed by the President’s belief in the innovation surrounding health information technology (HIT). While the implementation of the health information technology plan had other components, the most significant and visible was the EHRs (Huber, 2013). Therefore, President Bush mandated the adoption of HER as a policy-level solution to the negative effects of a fractious healthcare delivery system.
Clinical informatics is an extension of the information technology disruption in the healthcare industry. This paper has focused on the tactical, managerial and political-level impact of the titled sub-discipline. It is readily apparent that clinical informatics presents significant practical and theoretical advantages. Generally, healthcare institutions are able to improve patient care, efficiency, reduce costs and advance research because of clinical informatics.
Reference
Huber, D. (2013). Leadership and nursing care management (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
