Real-Time and Analytics

Question 1 

The fact that patient stays in hospitals is reducing at a significant rate, and it has become essential for health care facilities to adopt useful devices and systems that would allow them to engage in remote monitoring of their patients. Blanchet (2008) defines the remote control of patients in the process of having to use devices with the ability to submit real-time patient data to monitor patients without having them stay within the facilities. In my view, the first device, which I believe is crucial for a large enough pool of patients, which health facilities must provide to their patients is Vital Sync provided by Medtronic. Vital Sync is a system with the ability to compute real-time data from different patients with a hospital server as a way of promoting efficiency in the patient monitoring process. Vital Sync uses wearable devices that submit physiological information for the patients for purposes of remote patient monitoring.

The second device, which I believe is essential in remote patient monitoring is Apex Pro CH, which is a telemetry system developed by GE Healthcare. One of the key benefits of having to use this device is that it helps in the centralizing of all data from patients within a single network with the focus being towards projecting the overall possibilities of effectiveness. Using this device, health professionals can keep track of their patients' vital signs with the specific focus being towards ensuring that indeed patients achieve the best possible outcomes. The third device is Latitude NXT, which has been developed by Boston Scientific as an in-home monitoring system for purposes of monitoring primary elements associated with patient care. In most cases, this work towards creating that proactive approach from which to identify any notable issues that may impact patients’ health outcomes.

Question 2 

In healthcare, data analytics refers to a combination of clinical innovation and technology with the focus being towards ensuring that indeed health professionals can define overall capacities in the meeting set out objectives (Kudyda, 2016). From the information that I have read and from personal experience, I can argue that the adoption of data analytics may lead to improved outcomes in several ways. The first way in which data analytics may lead to improved outcomes is because it helps in the generation of a patient profile highlighting any contraindications, medical history, and any other relevant patient information. By generating a patient profile, it becomes much more comfortable for health professionals to determine the health approaches that they ought to take in their bid to delivering quality healthcare outcomes to their patients.

Secondly, data analytics may also help in safety monitoring as one of how health facilities can guarantee improved outcomes. The adoption of data analytics as part of the healthcare environment creates a platform from which to ensure that indeed health facilities can provide their patients with a guarantee of safety. Ultimately, this would act as one of the critical elements of consideration in ensuring that patients achieve the best possible health outcomes. Lastly, usage of data analytics creates a useful platform from which health facilities can use electronic medical records as one of their fundamental approaches to help in promoting positive outcomes. Primarily, this acts as a determinant of the fact that health professionals may seek to adopt effective approaches allowing them to deal with their patients in an effective manner.

Question 3 

Health care providers are expected to adopt the same kind of data fusion, and situational awareness approaches as combat pilots in a bid to creating that robust platform from which to provide their patients with the best possible care (Fortino, Galzarano, Gravina, & Li, 2015). Adoption of data fusion is essential when dealing with conflicting data, as it helps in the identification of any discrepancies in the data used as part of patient care. In most cases, this would help in avoiding the possibilities of medical errors considering that it ensures that indeed healthcare providers can use accurate data when making health decisions. That is different when compared to the idea of using single data sources considering that some of these sources may have inaccurate data, which may create a high possibility of medical errors.

On the other hand, data fusion helps in providing health care providers with an all-rounded platform from which to understand the specific health conditions affecting their patients. That is important towards promoting patient situational awareness considering that it seeks to ensure that the health delivery approaches taken to match the overall expectations for the individual patients. The fact that health care providers may opt to focus on data fusion acts as a clear indication of the value placed in multiple-source data especially in trying to eliminate the possibilities of inaccurate data. The ultimate result of using data fusion is that this would help pave the way for a better possibility of ensuring that indeed the outcomes expected are achieved while reflecting on the fact that this would pave the way for that primary avenue for enhanced capacities for health care service delivery.

Question 4 

The six sigma health approach is essential, as it seeks to ensure that health facilities focus much of their attention towards reducing waste while ensuring that the focus on improving the quality of health services offered. The first concept behind six sigma analytics is the definition with the focus being towards the identification of the patient population, as well as, identification of the critical problem affecting this population. Before having to focus on finding a solution, one of the essential expectations is to identify the problem itself, as this would help in defining the extent to which this is a problem in the healthcare sector. The second concept is on measuring the problem. In this concept, the focus is on engaging in an overall process of having to examine the extent to which the problem identified has affected the population in question.

The third concept is an analysis of the problem. In this step of the six sigma health approach, the focus is on data collection using a wide array of tools after which the data is analyzed to define the problem in question. One of the critical aspects to consider is that the data collected may also help in determining how the problem may be eliminated as part of the health care system. The four concept is on the improvement of the situation. Using the data collected and analyzed, it would be much easier to focus on development and adoption of a solution for the problem in question. The fifth concept is on control through which healthcare service providers are expected to monitor performance with the focus being towards maintaining the improvements adopted. The last concept is evaluation focusing on a process of having to determine whether the improvements adoption has met their set out goals and objectives.

References

Blanchet, K. D. (2008). Remote patient monitoring.  Telemedicine and e-Health ,  14 (2), 127-130.

Fortino, G., Galzarano, S., Gravina, R., & Li, W. (2015). A framework for collaborative computing and multi-sensor data fusion in body sensor networks.  Information Fusion ,  22 , 50-70.

Kudyda, S. P. (2016). Improving Efficiency through Technology, Analytics, and Management . Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press (Taylor & Francis).