Introduction
The Ministry of Health’s Health Informatics Department provides information support systems for hospitals and health clinics within the UAE. This department offers technical support in the form of computer-based patient record (CPR), health information systems (HIS), tele-medicine, and other technical aspects of information management within the health care industry. Thus, this analytical paper presents a comprehensive practicum observation report of the Department of Health Informatics.
Observation
The Ministry of Health’s Department of Health Informatics is divided into four subsections that offer technical support in the form of computer-based patient record (CPR), health information systems (HIS), tele-medicine, and other technical aspects of information management within the health care industry. The subsections operate every day for eight hours from Monday through to Friday. Since the department offers information support to the health industry in the UAE, all the subsections in the department are fully computerized and conveniently managed through an efficient intranet system. The health informatics support services offered by the department offers a series of different computer-based patient record management systems for the inpatients and outpatients. Besides, the hospital information system manages the medical devices, tele-medicine services, scheduling, and billing. In other words, a practitioner may be in a position to review all the activities within a health facility through a click of a button. The department also ensures that the computerised information in secure (UAE Ministry of Health 2014, par. 5).
Throughout the period I spent at the Department of Health Informatics, I observed that the subsection heads and other employees are mainly IT experts within a background in information security management. They were generally effective and highly skilled in health data storage and management in line with the accreditation standards of the ministry. The standards are placed in all strategic places within the ministry in the form of quality and value delivery assurances. The duties of the Department of Health Informatics in summarised below.
Computer-based patient record
The Department of Health Informatics functions within the values of confidentiality, ethics and efficiency in managing the computer-based patient records system. The system is designed to make the health records of inpatient and outpatient easily accessible across the UAE. The computer-based health records subsection has the responsibility of updating the national patient record system besides providing relevant information on the state of public and clinical health research. The subsection director revealed that the information security policy must be observed by all the employees. Generally, the employees in this subsection were very cooperative and gave me a lot of time to learn and ask questions. Besides, their responses to my questions were satisfactory (UAE Ministry of Health 2014, par. 5).
Health information systems
There is an extensive blueprint of the current and future strategies for managing the health information systems. As opined by the departmental head of the health information system, the scope of service delivery has been modified to include creation of a dynamic information management system for easy access to medical devises, tele-medicine, billing, and scheduling of different health care plans. Besides, the employees in this section are empowered to be creative and offer sustainable IT solutions. It is interesting to note that this section basically provides the central nervous system for managing all the operations in a health facility. Generally, the system is easy to use and modify to fit the needs of different health facilities (UAE Ministry of Health 2014, par. 19).
Patient care services
The Department of Health Informatics oversees long term services focused on improving the system for managing patient records and other health information systems. The department publishes monthly brochures on the state of health information administration and new systems in place. This department was among the first departments within the Ministry of Health to be ISO certified because of its efficiency in patient records management (UAE Ministry of Health 2014, par. 8).
Results
The Department of Health Information is one of the smallest departments in terms of space and personnel within the Ministry of Health. The department has created standard practices for health and patient records management within the UAE. After spending five consecutive days in this department, I observed that the personnel are relatively dynamic and constantly move from one subsection to another after every three days. I also observed that the department has representatives in all the major hospitals in the UAE to facilitate the management of the self updating patient records software. In addition, I observed that the department relies on the latest technology in health care information support.
Conclusion
The Department of Health Informatics has successfully instituted a reliable and competent health records and service monitoring system in the form of a computer program to micromanage the health care industry of the UAE. After spending five consecutive days in this department, I observed that the personnel are relatively dynamic and constantly move from one subsection to another after every three days. The department publishes monthly brochures on the state of health information administration and new systems in place. The Department of Health Informatics basically provides the central nervous system for managing all the information and support operations in the health industry of the UAE. In addition, the scope of service delivery within the Department of Health Informatics has been modified to include creation of a dynamic information management system for easy access to medical devises, tele-medicine, billing, and scheduling of different health care plans.
Recommendations
As a strategy for efficiency reassurance within this department, it is important In order to further improve on efficiency, it is imperative of the Department of Health Informatics to create a functional and dynamic personnel training plan since the field of healthcare information support is very dynamic. Every day, there are changes in information security management to counter online and offline security threats. Thus, the department may enrol the personnel in information security and management programs offered by companies such as Cisco (World Health Organization 9). The constant and periodic trainings will further equip the personnel with the latest knowledge in health information management and minimise instances of security breach as a result of human errors (Weiss 23). In addition, the department may partner with reputable companies to offer in-house health information system management to maintain efficiency in service delivery to the general public (El-Jardali et al. 102).
Works Cited
El-Jardali, Fadi, Diana Jamal, Ahmad Abdallah and Kassem Kassak. “Human resources for health planning and management in the Eastern Mediterranean region: Facts, gaps and forward thinking for research and policy.” Human Resources for Health, 5.9 (2010): 23-97. Print.
UAE Ministry of Health 2014. “Health Informatics Department”. Ministry of Health Online. Web.
Weiss, William. “Building morale, motivating, and empowering employees.” Supervision Journal, 72.9 (2010): 23-26. Print.
World Health Organization. Framework and standards for country health information systems, UAE. Cat. No. 45634.1, WHO, New York, 2010. Web.