Clinic System in College: Features and Planning Report

Abstract

A clinic system for a college encompasses several components that must function together as a whole. The development and implementation of such a system entails different phases such as planning, analysis, design, implementation and support. Each phase requires time and expertise to ensure that the ultimate system is up to date. For the system to operate, it should include features such as the details of employees and students, institution’s details, good navigation and so on.

Introduction

There is a systemic semblance on the functionality and complexity of the physical and social systems. While the physical systems may be made of electronic components and devices, the social systems may be made of administrative structures, departments, and organizational units, with specific responsibilities assigned to them. In social systems, human functions are the fundamental components. The components ought to function in a given way for them to act as a single unit in the system. The system relies on the development, storage, retrieval, processing, and the flow of information.

Systems are embodied in education institutions, schools, airports, factories health institutions and manufacturing plants. Systems may be analysed from the physical outlook to the internal processes and the details of the technology adopted in the running of the system. In the case of a medical clinic in the college, the system is developed to function in conjunction with the rest of the units in the college. This may include the admissions department, the students’ welfare and various administrative units.

The people who benefit from the services of the college clinic must be able to access information related to the developments and best practices that the clinic put in place. They must also be able to access their personal information and records. It is also critical for the system to be reviewed from time to time with the aim of keeping abreast with the latest technologies. The clinic must put in place support systems such as external servers, which may act as system back ups. This is, especially, recommended for technological systems that may suffer data corruption and mechanical damage.

Project content

This section highlights fundamentals phases that characterise the development and implementation of the system.

Planning

Planning is the first phase in a system’s development. The plan ought to capture the vision and the mission of the clinic. Specific features that relate to the objective can be used to generate a plan that will be used to meet the ultimate vision of the clinic. To develop this phase, one should take into consideration the views of all the components that relate them to the system. Planning is also informed by the experiences of the institution or the experiences drawn from the medical practitioners in the clinic. Planners may also get objective details about the system by carrying out a feasibility study on the economic, operational and technical aspects of the project (Bertsimas, Brown & Caramanis, 2011; Columbia University school of Nursing, 2013).

System Analysis

This is regarded as the second phase in systems development. Analysis is done to establish the state of a system at a given point of operations. It is advisable to carry out an analysis of all the components related to the system. Through the analysis of the individual components, it is possible to deduce the characteristics of the system as a unit. The analysis of a system can be done by using empirical processes and relations. Statistical tools of analysis may also be employed in the process (Hadasch, Mueller, & Maedche, 2012; Association of Physicians, 2010).

Systems Design

This is the third phase of the clinic system. It represents the constructs that define the clinic system. Details of the system’s principles, functions and the schematic representation of the system are included. The design actually captures the characteristics of the individual components and how the components link to each other (Hadasch, Mueller, & Maedche, 2012; Bertsimas, Brown & Caramanis, 2011).

Systems implementation phase

Clinics may require a strategic implementation owing to the fact that they directly affect the human life. This calls for caution when getting information from the system on certain medication or records of a given patient. The institution must find the best modality of collecting data from each of the workers and the students. In case of data transfer, the clinic system must put in place measures of verification. One may choose to start by partial implementation or implement the system in phases with evaluation done at each phase.

System support phase

The phase is put in place to ensure that the system continues to function in case of disruptions. Internal support systems such as data backups, power backups and alternative communication systems should be on standby. A college clinic must be able to serve the clients throughout. Therefore, there is a need to employ quality equipment and enough medical personnel (Sturmberg, & Martin, 2013).

Project objectives

A clinic system should be easy to interact with, convenient in terms of access and adjustment. There must be measures that will ensure that the data in the system is controlled from a central point. The system ought to be able to keep all forms of medical data, including texts, still and motion images (Baert, 2010). The clinic system in the college will be able to serve conventional storage and retrieval of information processes. The system will further be able to accommodate the dynamics of research with relevant data able to serve the constructs of medical research.

Features of the system

1. The system will be able to show the details of the student. Such details may include the names, the year of admission, the student’s identification number, school, department, and contact information. The student may receive communication by the use of the phones, emails, fax or checking in their database account.
2. The system will also show the details of the employees. The details include their names, year of employment, family status, any health records that they may wish to share with the college clinic. It will have a provision for adjustments for both students and employees who may have extra details than those provided during the design.
3. The system will also show information about the institution: the vision, mission, core values, departments, administrative structure, the logo, location and the achievements of the institution. It should be noted that information about the school will be inclined to the clinic’s information.
4. The system will provide for possible changes that the user may want to make on personal information. For instance, the student may change the physical address, in case the family shifted to another city. The changes will only be possible on certain conditions of verification.
5. The search tool, for all the information on the system will help the users to access specific information with ease. Such aspects will be considered during the system design.
6. The system should be able to provide an external link to other systems within the same college. The link may help in record verification and gathering of authorised information, for research.
7. The system may use updated software and anti viruses to prevent data corruption. It is also recommended that the system allows for backup options such as independent servers and use of multiple discs for storage of information.
8. Conditions for verification of the user of the system may include, request for username, password, email address verification. Access of private information on an individual’s health may request for biotechnological information such as the finger prints and the eye scan.
9. The system should have user-friendly navigation tools such as zooming, moving to another page, plugins and anti-spam features.
10. Clinic information system should be easy to log in and out.

System planning phase

Introduction

System planning will provide the strategy from the inception to implementation and subsequent evaluation processes. Planning may be done at various intervals and also involve relevant personnel dealing with the specific areas of the system.

Things that ought to be done in the planning phase

1. Define the nature of the intended system, pegging it to specific requirements of a clinic college.
2. The plan should detail the order of activities in the system development. Such may include financial schedules, time schedules and time series events (TSE) form. This will help in tracking the progress of the system development.
3. Planning will detail the information on feasibility
4. Planning will also project into the political, economic, available resources (Human and non-human), and the organizational conditions of the college at the time of planning in relation to the future.
5. Briefing the staff and management on the progress, making adjustments and verification.
6. Piloting, configuration, adjustments and formal launch of the system.
7. Figure 1

Feasibility study

The feasibility of the clinic system of the college will be done in the following areas.

Technical feasibility study

A health care system contains details such as the data on treatment of diseases, the chemical compositions, the conditions of existence, the size and the dynamics of pathogens, the dosage and criteria of dosage. Other complexities involve the details on eye examination, blood pressure levels, various states of lipids, surgery, and the images taken in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the use of radiations (Kleinberg, Nolan, Gabella, & Torrieri, 2009). The health information is besides the conventional records taken of the students and the employees. This calls for a strategic system that can accommodate data that relates to the demographical aspects and the details of medical processes (Liang, & Xue, 2010). The technical study will also establish the state and usability of the existing technological infrastructure. Such may include internet connectivity, the router system and the specific details of the computers on which the system will be installed (Baert, et al., 2010; Liang, & Xue, 2010).

Operational feasibility

This is undertaken at two levels. First, it is to establish the ability of the employees and the students to use the system. The staff in the clinic must be trained on the basics of the computer, followed by the complexities of the specific software under which the system operates (Liang & Xue, 2010). The affective aspects of the users of the system in the clinic play a vital role in the success of the use of the system. Such aspects include motivation and attitudes (Liang, & Xue, 2010; Hadasch, Mueller & Maedche, 2012). The second level of operational feasibility is the relevance and actualization of the constructs that the system considered (Baert, et al., 2010).

Economic feasibility

This will investigate the costs of development to the sustainability of the system and the benefits it offers. The costs and benefits are in quantitative and qualitative terms. The quantitative terms may include the monetary values, the time spent in getting information, the number of people served by the system and the number of variables that the system accommodates. Qualitative economic features include efficiency, level of security and institutional pride in the adoption and use of the technology (Baert, et al., 2010; Liang, & Xue, 2010).

Schedule feasibility

Schedule feasibility involves establishing the time frame over which the planned activities will be done. The availability of resources, the logistics of acquiring hardware and software and the complexity of the system dictate the time frame of the project Liang, & Xue, 2010). Schedule feasibility may also include the stages at which funding is done and the source of funding.

Strategic planning

In the view of Columbia University School of Nursing (2013), strategic planning in medical institutions is not only critical in the day to day service to the clients and medical practising. Strategic planning enables medical institutions to conquer new frontiers by providing vital information for research. Organizational strategic planning is anchored in the vision and mission of the institution. It establishes three things

1. The reason for the planning
2. The person who will benefit
3. The modalities of implementation.

Strategic planning is envisaged as in the following time schedule.

Analysis plan

Introduction

The plan must undertake a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the system. To analyse the hardware one, one may consider aspects such as hard disc memory, Random Access Memory, processor speed and the physical conditions.

To analyse the software aspect, the plan may consider compatibility, the algorithms used to design the system and the conditions of configuration. The plan should detail how the system may be integrated with other systems, the protocol of the program and the level of security. Most institutions and employees are concerned with the security of their information. The plan must provide alternatives to data retrieval and backup plans.

Analysis should be done empirically to obtain the latest information on the versions of the software and hardware. Statistical tools should verify the schematic representation of the system. There is also a need for the analysis of the behaviour of the user and the data (Liang, & Xue, 2010; Hadasch, Mueller & Maedche, 2012).

Analysis of tasks

A clinical system must undergo the following task analysis

Establish the required documents

These are the documents that pertain to the system and the conditions under which the system will function. The documents will inform the variables and the technical design of the system to accept various formats of information.

The plan should establish a functional requirement document (FRD)

The document is designed basing on various clinical variables. The general information gathered on a patient, the nature of the pathogens, intervention measures and the feedback mechanism. Documents may be designed in formats such as texts, still images, motion images or a combination of both motion images and sound.

Conduct review

This is done through the review of the responses on the system. When the user requests information from the system, it responds according to the design and the available information. In return, the user responds either to the system directly or indirectly by change of attitudes, seeking more information or visiting the person responsible.

Revision of the previous documents

This is done to ensure that all the data is verified and up to date

• Quality assurance staff to ensure that the system serves the users in the correct way.
• Oversight activities are considered in terms of the possibility of accessories, external connections and connection between systems.

Analysis of activities

The system will be analysed using the following aspects

Needs

The needs are determined by administrative protocols, the medical details and personal information of the system user (Bertsimas, Brown, & Caramanis, 2011)

Data collection

The following instruments help to gather information to the system

Written document

The system is fed with the initial information drawn from medical books, policy papers, Acts of legislation, and institutional medical plans.

Interviews

Interviews are conducted to gather information that will be used at the design level of the system and may be uploaded for reference purposes.

Questionnaires

Questionnaires about the system can be done online and offline. The items on the questionnaires are developed from the constructs that relate to the users and the system.

Sampling

This is done from the population of the students and the workers in college. Additionally, the sample size may comprise of experts in the IT and medical field.

Data analysis

The data collection methods for the clinic system will be charts, schematic models, statistical instruments such as the SPSS, and empirical formulae.

Analysis Report

The report will cover the following features

1. Explain the principle of operation of the system and how the extremes of its functionalities (Bertsimas, Brown, & Caramanis, 2011).
2. It should be to warn on possible problems that may arise in the process of using the system (Sturmberg & Martin, 2013)
3. Should provide the system’s outlook, especially with regard to the dynamics in demography and medical practices (Association of Physicians, 2010).

References

Association of Physicians. (2010). Medical reductionism: lessons from the great philosophers. An international Journal of Medicine, 103(9), 721- 724.

Baert, L.A., Brady, L.W., Heilmann, H.P., Hricak. H., Knauth, M., Molls, M., Nieder, C., & Reiser, M.F. (2010). Digital Mammography. London: Springer.

Bertsimas, D., Brown, B.D., & Caramanis, C. (2011). Theory and Application of Robust Optimization. Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 53(3), 464-501.

Columbia University school of Nursing. (2013). Scholars Journal Review. The Journal of Doctoral nursing Practice, 6(1), 1-75.

Bertsimas, D., Brown, B.D., & Caramanis, C. (2011). Changing Employees’ Security Behavior with Technology-Enforcement of Information Systems Security Policies. Working Paper Series in Information Systems, 2, 1-10.

Kleinberg, S.A., Nolan, C.K., Gabella, A., & Torrieri, L. (2009). In the Clinic: Practical Information about common health problems. New York, NY: American College of Physicians.

Liang, H., & Xue, Y. (2010). Understanding security behaviours in personal computer usage: A threat avoidance perspective. Journal of the association for information systems, 11(70, 394-413.

Sturmberg, J.P., & Martin M.C. (2013). Handbook of Systems and Complexity in Health. New York, NY: Springer.