Ch 52 1. ICT is used in many ways in the provision and management of healthcare services: Hospital...
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Transcript of Ch 52 1. ICT is used in many ways in the provision and management of healthcare services: Hospital...
ICT in MedicineCh 52
1
Introduction
ICT is used in many ways in the provision and management of healthcare services: Hospital administration Medical training Maintenance of patient records Communications between
doctors/patients/hospitals Diagnosis Monitoring Surgeries
Objectives
You should have an understanding of a wide range of work-related ICT applications and their effects, including applications in medicine doctors’ information systems hospital and pharmacy records Monitoring expert systems for diagnosis
We will look at the processes in a logical order, considering the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT in each one.
Patient records
Patient records used to be written on paper, and stored in huge, manual databases.
This made accessing the records slow. Sometimes records could get lost, and there was no easy way to make a back-up copy, or to search for specific groups of patients
Patient records
When a patient registers at a surgery, details are recorded on a database
Computerized databases mean that patient data can be easily shared between doctors, pharmacies and other hospitals
It is easy to search for and retrieve patient records
What data is held?
In the case of hospitals, the patient data that would be typically stored would be:Patient ID (number or text) - this would be the key field
Name (text) Date-of-birth (date) Gender (boolean) Next of kin (text) Blood group (text) Allergies (text) Medical history (text) Doctor currently treating (text) Current symptoms (text) Current diagnosis (text) Current treatment (text) Current medication (text) X-rays or body scans (links to image/video files)
Advantages
SecurityAccess rights & levelsEase & speed of transferring to a
new doctorBUT:DPAOver reliance?ExpenseTrainingChangeover issues
Managing apointments
Allocating appointment times
Managing doctors’ workload
Easy to seeWeekly/monthly overviewSearches possibleNotesColour codingBUT? –
saving/overwriting/cost/training
Electronic booking systems
Video Clip: NHS introduces electronic booking system
Other appointments
Doctors can access a patient’s records whilst they are visiting patients, by using a computer connected wirelessly to the hospital network.
Advantages?Possible problems?
Doctors often use tablet computers (which are portable like laptops, but have a touch screen, and no keyboard) as they can be held in one hand, and operated with the other.
Notes can be written on the screen using a stylus, and handwriting-recognition software converts it into computer text data.
Advantages
Ease & speed of access to relevant patient information
No need to carry notes around (bulky, heavy, problems in case they are lost)
Access to communications if need for urgent referral to hospital etc
Also access to online diagnostic tools/reference material
Disadvantages:
CostTrainingTheft issuesBattery issuesWhat if it breaks down?Network availability in some areasData protection issues
Diagnosis: the issues facing doctors
Need for speed and accuracyNew & unusual conditionsLevels of experience can vary!Area of expertiseTrainingYears of practise
Previous conditions
Accessed through recordsPrevious treatments & success ratesAny reactions to drugs?
Diagnostic technology
Diagnosis
Embedded computer systems Electronic diagnostic equipment eg
body scannersCT scanners and MRI scanners
allow doctors to investigate what is happening inside a patient's body without intrusive surgery.
Diagnostic equipment
May contain sensorsPhysical data is analogue, so need
for ADCCAT scansMRIsX rayUltrasound
Ultrasound scans
Video clip: New Ultrasound scans
Advantages
Non-invasive: Faster Cheaper Less risk of side effects or infection More convenient for patient and doctor 3D is possible Access to research/info
Disadvantages
Equipment is very expensiveTraining is requiredBreakdownsSome equipment may not be
available in all areas – digital divide issues