Question

This week we will address health assessment (ch 7) and technology (ch 8) as part of the policy process we discussed week 1 (problem definition, see page 7-8). The readings are really important this week as we begin to study the processes of policy analysis. After reading and skimming the Ppts, please answer the following.

-Discuss your interests or concerns in terms of technology in the healthcare workplace.

-Offer an example. What improvements can be made to this system for a benefit to patients?

-Relate this to chapter 8 in terms of the process, regulation, and opportunities you see.

Please minimum 1200 words, please.

Reference:

Health Policy Analysis: An

Interdisciplinary Approach. 2nd ed.

McLaughlin, C.P., McLaughlin, C.D.  

Jones and Bartlett. (2015)

ISBN: 978-1284037777

Answer 1

The care of patients now almost inevitably seems to involve many different individuals, all needing to share patient information and discuss their management. As a consequence there is increasing interest in, and use of, information and communication technologies to support health services. Yet, while there is significant discussion of, and investment in, information technologies, communication systems receive much less attention and the clinical adoption of even simpler services like voice-mail or electronic mail is still not commonplace in many health services. There remain enormous gaps in our broad understanding of the role of communication services in health care delivery. Laboratory medicine is perhaps even more poorly studied than many other areas, such as the interface between primary care and hospital services. Given this lack of specific information about laboratory communication services, this paper will step back and generally review the components of a communication system, including the basic concepts of a communication channel, service, device and interaction mode. The review will then try and summarise some of what is known about specific communication problems that arise across health services in the main, including the community and hospital service delivery.