Lecture 1: IT and Medical Informatics

Question 1

Passive vs Active Health IT

Answer 1

• Passive: Information storage
• Active: patient reminders, prescribing alerts, etc.

Question 2

3 Categories of Health IT

Answer 2

• Administrative & Financial
• Clinical Systems
• Infrastructure

Question 3

Define interoperability

Answer 3

Extent to which systems and devices can exchange data and interpret shared data

Question 4

What are the 3 levels of health IT interoperability?

Answer 4

• Foundational: allows data exchange (no interpretation)
• Structural: Intermediate, meaning of data remains
• Semantic: exchange, interpret, and use

Question 5

Categories within an EHR

Answer 5

• Patient demographics
• Contact info
• Communication
• Patient encounters
• Diagnostic testing
• Advance Directives

Question 6

Who is EMR for?

Answer 6

Clinicians

Question 7

What is an EHR?

Answer 7

• All components of an EMR + overall health information.
• Designed to follow patient from practice to practice

Question 8

What is in CPOE?

Answer 8

• Electronic medication administration record (MAR)
• Clinical decision support
• The ability to write a full range of orders

Question 9

How has CPOE changed healthcare?

Answer 9

• Minor improvement in actual patient care
• Increased overall time to enter orders
• Requires time and change in mindset to implement
• Does not catch all errors

Question 10

What is a CDSS (Clinical decision support system) supposed to do?

Answer 10

Providing knowledge-specific and person-specific information to enhance clinical decision making and provision of healthcare.

Question 11

What is PACS and the advantages?

Answer 11

1. Picture archiving/communication system
2. Improved organization
3. Improved accessibility
4. Improved viewing

Radiologic film with digital image storage and transmission.

Question 12

What are the disadvantages of PACS?

Answer 12

1. Significant cost to implement and maintain
2. System-wide failure could be detrimental or catastrophic
3. Files can still be corrupted or lost
4. Training and understanding use

Question 13

What does barcoding NOT stop?

Answer 13

• Ordering incorrect interventions
• Performing incorrect tests
• Administering incorrect treatments

Question 14

Two types of RFID

Answer 14

• Active: battery powered
• Passive: Reader is battery powered

Question 15

What is the purpose of RFID?

Answer 15

• Tracking pts for anti-elopement
• Out of bed detection or fall detection
• Tracking inventory

Question 16

Concern with RFID

Answer 16

Potential for interference with PPMs or ICDs

Question 17

What are the advantages of an automated medication dispensing machine?

Pyxis

Answer 17

• Increased security
• Increased patient safety
• Increased access to medications

Question 18

What are the disadvantages to an automated medication dispensing machine?

Answer 18

• Errors still possible
• Is the reduction actually due to the pyxis?
• Cost of implementation, training, and maintenance

Question 19

What does electronic materials management minimize?

Answer 19

• False charges
• Waste of material
• Delays in care due to lack of material
• Incorrect ordering

Question 20

Define Distant/hub site, ongoing/spoke site, and asynchronous in terms of telemedicine.

Answer 20

• Distant/hub site: Where the provider is located
• Ongoing/spoke site: location of patient
• Asynchronous: data recorded/stored, then sent to a diff site