Question

You are an HIM professional who works for a medical device company that sells infusion pumps. This is very exciting because they have never had had an HIM professional on the team, and they have hired you as a part of the compliance team. You are excited to get started and are ready to conduct some privacy and security assessments when the director of information systems comes to meet with you to let you know that things are fine and that a consultant performed a security assessment and the when the director of information systems comes to meet with you to let you know that things are fine and that a consultant performed a security assessment and the company is in a compliance. You ignore his suggestion and perform a review of discover that the infusion pumps have remote mobile monitoring that is not secure. The monthly compliance committee is next week, and this will be the first time the HIM professional has attended the meeting. 1. What does the HIM professional do? How can the review findings be presented while preserving a relationship with the director of information systems? 2. What resources should the HIM professional use to present the review findings?

Answer 1

1.HIM professionals play an important role in between the healthcare professionals and the stakeholders. HIM has the responsibility in providing consistent, efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality devices in the healthcare system. He is also responsible for the medical company in providing of substandard devices in delivering of care to the patient. Being a HIM professional, he should have a unique knowledge and expert skills in all medical equipment. He has to analyze all the issues that interfere with the healthcare safety and quality.

In the meeting, The HIM has to address these challenges and the need of review findings in a proper way. The better explanation will make better understood of the director which will preserve the relationship of HIM with the Director of the information system.

2. An Infusion pump is a device which delivers the fluid and the medication with accuracy and control thereby minimizing the medication error. Even though it is handled by a trained professional still FDA has received 56000 adverse events reports in between 2005 - 2009. Most of the problem arises due to defect in the device design and engineering. HIM professionals also show the sample reports of software defects, User interface issues, Mechanical and electrical issues. He can also Cote the FDA guidelines such as conduct additional risk assessment, facilitate device improvement, and the increased user awareness. The need for security assessments of the device is very important for company compliance.