Author: chris

interoperability is an ever-present aim as health information technology solutions are selected and implemented. Ideally, the technology solution that is selected will work in concert with current and evolving standards and processes. Yet there are a number of factors that can slow or even prevent altogether the achievement of system harmony and integration.

Prepare for this Discussion as follows:

• Review the main challenges to interoperability among health care systems, as described in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Select a clinical or administrative area or function in a health care setting, such as radiology, pharmacy, laboratory, ICU, admissions, or patient billing. Preferably, this will be an area in which you intend to work in the near future. Through online research, find out more about the IT standards that would be most relevant to this department or function. Identify interoperability issues that commonly arise and solutions that have been found or are being proposed.
• Consider the ways in which management can help to find solutions to these challenges.

Response to the following:

• In the first line of your posting, identify the health care area or function you selected.
• Describe one significant impediment to achieving system interoperability within and between health care organizations.
• What is the most relevant standard(s) in your selected clinical or administrative area or function, and what are important interoperability issues that arise here? Provide a specific example that illustrates this problem in practice.
• How are these interoperability issues best addressed? What could you, as a manager in this area, do to assist in resolving the problem?

APA FORMAT WITH 250 WORDS OR MORE

Determinants of Health

Although inequalities in income and education underlie many health disparities, the poor are sometimes held responsible for their health status. For instance, Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, a Harvard University professor and social epidemiologist, reports that the ability to avoid negative health behaviors like smoking and eating unhealthy foods depends on access to “income, education, and the social determinants of health.” On the basis of your knowledge of the health of the poor, answer the following questions:

• Should the poor be held responsible for their health disparities? Why or why not?
• What are some common stereotypes of the poor? How do these stereotypes contribute to the poor being held responsible for their health status?
• What conditions in your community promote or hinder healthy choices?
• In addition to the above, consider the input that research on women has lagged behind research on men. Many health treatments that address health risks for women are based on research conducted on men. With reference to your understanding of the healthcare system, mention the factors that determine whether the health treatments based on research on men will be successful with women

his assignment gives you the opportunity to apply your analysis and research skills and your knowledge of technology solutions and EHR systems to evaluate technology solutions in the health care industry. You will identify and Electronic Health Record (EHR) system that would improve the processes and the quality of care at the UMUC Family Clinic. This assignment specifically addresses the following course outcomes to enable you to:

 

• Evaluate technology solutions in the health care industry to improve the quality of care, safety, and financial management decisions.

 

UMUC Family Clinic Medical Practice

 

In your Stage 1 Project, you analyzed the patient visit process and modelled the AS-IS process. You then optimized the process/workflow and modeled the TO-BE process.

 

For your Stage 2 Project for the Case Study, you examined the need for information exchange between the UMUC Family Clinic and other organizations.

 

For this Stage 3 Project, you will evaluate EHR system solutions and propose a technology solution that will improve the patient visit process you modelled in Stage 1 and improve the quality of care, safety, and financial management decisions for the UMUC Family Clinic.

 

Assignment

 

 

 

As the EHR consultant to Dr. Martin, you will write a paper to propose to him which EHR system you recommend; what it will do; what hardware, software and telecommunications components he will need to acquire; whether the system will be hosted locally or in the cloud; and explain how the proposed technology solution will improve the patient visit process, and the quality of care, safety, and/or financial management decisions at the UMUC Family Clinic. Create a document that includes the following:

 

1. Select and propose a specific EHR system for the UMUC Family Clinic. The system should be one that would improve the patient visit process as described in the case study and as modeled in the Stage 1 assignment. You will want to propose a system that has been certified to perform certain functions, and is listed as a “complete” EHR system (vs. one that focuses on only one or two of the processes). Focus on a single EHR system solution that would help to improve the patient visit process.

• To accomplish this, you will need to look up the up-to-date list of certified complete EHRs on the ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT) website at the following URL and then complete the steps that follow: http://oncchpl.force.com/ehrcert/
• Select “View All Products” (located just under the search bar). On the page that comes up, you will want to search using the following search criteria:
  • Certification Edition: 2014
  • Select Practice Type: Ambulatory

 

• Select Classification: Complete EHR

• Select one or more Certification Criteria to find EHR systems that support the patient visit process. (Note that not all EHR systems address all process areas.) Refer to the “Certification Criteria,” in Content>Course Resources for a list that corresponds to the numbers provided; or mouse-over the number to see the corresponding criterion.

 

• You will then provide in your paper the following bulleted information on the certified EHR that you have selected:
  • Product: ___________________
  • Version: ___________________
  • Vendor: ___________________
  • CHPL Product Number: ___________________
• Describe the system in one paragraph. Go to the vendor’s website and research what the system does and some of its selling points. Your description should demonstrate that the selected system fits the UMUC Clinic’s needs and will improve the patient visit process.
• List the major hardware, software and communications (including local connectivity and internet access, if appropriate) components that will be needed, and the number of each needed for the implementation at the UMUC Family Clinic. The vendor’s website should list the major hardware/software requirements for implementing the system. How many of each you list is dependent on the solution you propose, but the important components needed to implement your proposed solution should be included. For example, you may have one PC for the front desk and one for each of the 3 examination rooms, and they will have to connect to some system somewhere. Or you may decide to have 1 PC for the front office, and a tablet or laptop each for the doctor and the two nurses, also connected to some system somewhere. Your list should be applicable to your proposed solution, should improve the patient visit process, and be appropriate for the UMUC Family Clinic. (Remember, there is currently no information technology implemented at the clinic other than the outdated scheduling software on the single front desk PC.)
• You will also need to specify whether your EHR system will be hosted (installed) on computer equipment to be located in the clinic or if it will run as “Software as a Service” (SaaS) via the Internet (i.e., “in the cloud”). (For a definition of SaaS, please see the note in the box below.) You will need to evaluate the clinic’s needs and the vendor’s offering. Some vendors offer only one or the other, some offer both methods of access. There are advantages to selecting SaaS for smaller clinics, like reducing the need for an IT staff, but it also comes with a price tag. You will need to provide the reasoning behind your selection.
• Explain how the proposed technology solution will improve the patient visit process, and the quality of care, safety, and/or financial management decisions at the UMUC Family Clinic.   Note that a significant percentage of the overall grade is based on this explanation.

 

SaaS: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a software delivery model, where the actual software and the data are hosted at the location of the software provider. The users access the software or the data using a ‘thin client’ such as a web-browser. That way the actual users of the software do not need to install the entire software and save the data on their own hardware. The provider of the software is the one who incurs all the responsibility of making the software and data available, backing it up, and restoring from backup when needed. Hence, the users don’t need to incur hardware costs or hire IT staff. This model is becoming more and more popular especially for small businesses when it is not in their business model to hire an IT staff. Software delivered in this way is said to run “in the cloud.” Example: An example of a common business accounting software that is offered in more than 1 delivery model is Intuit’s Quickbooks. A small business owner can buy the software for a one-time fee (cost of purchase is about $300) at Office Depot, install it on his own PC and start entering his financial data. In this delivery model, the software and data reside on the PC. If the PC crashes, all the data is lost unless the entrepreneur was IT-savvy and backed up his data on a CD or USB. The data can only be accessed on that computer. The other model is the SaaS, where the entrepreneur can decide that he prefers to pay a monthly fee (roughly $50) and access Quickbooks via an internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. In this model, the software and the data are stored at the software vendor, Intuit. An advantage of this model is that the business owner does not need to worry if his PC crashes or if he works from home or the office. He can access the system and his data from anywhere and Intuit takes care of securing and backing up the data, etc.

 

 

 

Formatting

 

• Your paper should be written as a professionally presented proposal to Dr. Martin at the UMUC Family Clinic.
• Your paper should be about two pages, single spaced.
• You should include at least one external source. These are sources other than those provided in the classroom. Sources should include the vendor’s website. NOTE: More than one external source is required to earn full points.
• Add a title page, and a reference page.
• Use APA formatted citations and references for all external sources used.

 

• Compare your final work to the rubric to be sure you have met content and quality criteria.

• Submit your paper via your Assignment folder as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.

 

 

Your paper will be evaluated on whether or not you correctly incorporated the course concepts from the textbook and readings, and have addressed all parts of the assignment. What, exactly, you propose as a technology solution will be evaluated as to whether it is appropriate for the UMUC Family Clinic and could actually improve the patient visit process, and whether it is fully thought-out and supported with application of course concepts and research. Remember, this is an information systems management course, and your solution must be an information technology solution – specifically an EHR system. Use the Rubric below to be sure you have covered all aspects.

 

GRADING RUBRIC:

 

Criteria	90-100% Far Above Standards	80-89% Above Standards	70-79% Meets Standards	60-69% Below Standards	< 60% Well Below Standards	Possible Points
Proposed Technology Solution	18-20 Points Proposed technology solution is identified and convincingly described in detail using course vocabulary, is appropriate to the case studyand to improve the patient visit process; strongly demonstrates understanding of course concepts, analysis, and critical thinking.	16-17 Points Proposed technology solution is identified and well described using course vocabulary and is appropriate to the case study and to improve the patient visit process; and demonstrates understanding of course concepts, analysis, and critical thinking.	14-15 Points Proposed technology solution is identified and described using course vocabulary and is appropriate to the case study and to improve the patient visit process.	12-13 Points Proposed technology solution is not adequately identified or described, and/or not appropriate to the case study, and/or not appropriate to improve the patient visit process; may be lacking in demonstration of understanding of course concepts, course vocabulary, analysis, and/or critical thinking.	0-11 Points Proposed technology solution is not included or not described; or is not appropriate to the case study and improving the patient visit process.	20
Solution Components	23-25 Points   Major hardware, software, and telecommun-ications components needed to implement the proposed solution are listed and the number of each is specified; are highly appropriate to the proposed solution and clearly appropriate to the case study.	20-22 Points Major hardware, software, and telecommun-ications components needed to implement the proposed solution are fully listed and the number of each is specified; are clearly applicable to the proposed solution and appropriate to the case study.	17-19 Points Major hardware, software, and telecommun-ications components to implement the proposed solution are listed and the number of each is specified; are applicable to the proposed solution and appropriate to the case study.	15-16 Points Major hardware, software, and telecommun-ications components listed may be incomplete, number of each may not be provided; may not apply to the proposed solution and/or may not be appropriate for the case study.	0-14 Points Component list is not provided or is lacking major components and/or number of each required.	25
Explanation of SaaS vs. in-house solution	9-10 Points Explanation of SaaS vs. in-house implementation of the solution is clear and convincing.	8 Points Explanation of SaaS vs. in-house implementa-tion of the solution is clear and complete.	7 Points Explanation of SaaS vs. in-house implementa-tion of the solution is presented.	6 Points   Explanation of SaaS vs. in-house implementation of the solution is incomplete or unclear.	0-5 Points Explanation of SaaS vs. in-house implementa-tion of the solution is not provided.	10
Explanation of selection of certified EHR system	23-25 Points A clear and convincing explanation is provided for how the proposed certified EHR system will improve the patient visit process, quality of care, safety, and/or financial management decisions; demonstrates understanding of course concepts, sophisticated analysis, and critical thinking.	20-22 Points A clear and correct explanation is provided for how the proposed certified EHR system will improve the patient visit process, quality of care, safety, and/or financial management decisions; demonstrates understanding of course concepts, analysis, and critical thinking.	17-19 Points An explanation of how the proposed certified EHR system will improve the patient visit process, quality of care, safety, and/or financial management decisions is provided using course vocabulary and concepts.	15-16 Points The explanation of how the proposed certified EHR system will support the patient visit process, quality of care, safety, and/or financial management decisions is incomplete and/or not convincing; may be lacking in demonstration of understanding of course concepts, analysis, and/or critical thinking.	0-14 Points Explanation of how the proposed certified EHR system can improve the patient visit process, quality of care, safety, and/or financial management decisions is not provided or is incomplete or inadequate.	25
External Research	9-10 Points More than one source other than the course material is incorporated and used effectively. Sources used are relevant and timely. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style.	8 Points At least one source other than the course material is incorporated and used effectively. Source(s) used are relevant and timely. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style.	7 Points At least one source other than the course material is incorporated correctly. Reference is cited using APA style.	6 Points A source other than the course material may be used, but is not properly incorporated or used; and/or is not effective or appropriate; and/or is not relevant or timely; and/or does not follow APA style for references and citations.	0-5 Points No external research is incorporated or reference listed is not cited within text.	10
Report Format	9-10 Points Report is very well organized and is easy to read. Very few or no errors; demonstrates correct sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; written in third person and presented in a professional format.	8 Points Report reflects effective organization; may have few errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; written in third person and presented in a professional format.	7 Points Report is organized and may have some errors in sentence structure, grammar and spelling. Report is written in third person.	6 Points Report is not well organized, and/or contains several grammar and/or spelling errors; and/or report is not written in third person.	0-5 Points Report is extremely poorly written; and/or contains many grammar and/or spelling errors; and/or does not convey the inform

elect an article from a magazine or newspaper that has something in it that pertains to biology. This will serve as the “target article” for this assignment. For instance, you can select an article about medicine, invasive species, nature, conservation, genetic technology, ecology, or any other topic that is related to biology. One purpose of this assignment is to help you become aware of how biology is related to your everyday life.

Write a one to three (1-3) page paper in which you:

1. Summarize the article in one (1) or more paragraphs, using your own words. Be sure to identify the article using an in-text citation in the body of the paper, as well as a reference in the reference section. 
2. Explain how the article relates to this course. Identify which biological concepts from the course and / or text are relevant to the topic covered in the article. Citing the course text, discuss the ways in which this course does (or doesn’t) provide background information to help you understand the article and the larger issues surrounding it. 
3. Explain why the article caught your attention. Relate the article to your life and to issues that are important to you. Discuss how or if the scientific knowledge about the topic covered in the article affects you directly or indirectly.
4. Discuss your opinion on how research on this topic should be funded. State whether you think taxpayer monies should support research on this topic or whether such research in this area should be funded by the private sector. Rate the importance of research on this topic, relative to other areas of research. 

In addition to the target article, you should use at least one additional resource, such as your textbook or another article. You must have a reference section which contains an APA reference to your chosen article and all other sources. Additionally, you must provide in-text citations (in APA format) to your references in the body of the text. Integrate all sources into your paper using proper techniques of quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing, along with your in-text citations.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Use technology and information resources to research issues in biology.
• Write clearly and concisely about biology using proper writing mechanics.

elect an article from a magazine or newspaper that has something in it that pertains to biology. This will serve as the “target article” for this assignment. For instance, you can select an article about medicine, invasive species, nature, conservation, genetic technology, ecology, or any other topic that is related to biology. One purpose of this assignment is to help you become aware of how biology is related to your everyday life.

Write a one to three (1-3) page paper in which you:

1. Summarize the article in one (1) or more paragraphs, using your own words. Be sure to identify the article using an in-text citation in the body of the paper, as well as a reference in the reference section. 
2. Explain how the article relates to this course. Identify which biological concepts from the course and / or text are relevant to the topic covered in the article. Citing the course text, discuss the ways in which this course does (or doesn’t) provide background information to help you understand the article and the larger issues surrounding it. 
3. Explain why the article caught your attention. Relate the article to your life and to issues that are important to you. Discuss how or if the scientific knowledge about the topic covered in the article affects you directly or indirectly.
4. Discuss your opinion on how research on this topic should be funded. State whether you think taxpayer monies should support research on this topic or whether such research in this area should be funded by the private sector. Rate the importance of research on this topic, relative to other areas of research. 

In addition to the target article, you should use at least one additional resource, such as your textbook or another article. You must have a reference section which contains an APA reference to your chosen article and all other sources. Additionally, you must provide in-text citations (in APA format) to your references in the body of the text. Integrate all sources into your paper using proper techniques of quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing, along with your in-text citations.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Use technology and information resources to research issues in biology.
• Write clearly and concisely about biology using proper writing mechanics.

For this activity, locate and evaluate a thesis statement from the Internet. The thesis statement can be from a website, article, blog, or any other source as long as it is appropriate.

Complete the following:

1. Find an Internet article or essay on a topic of interest to you.
2. Locate the author’s thesis statement.
3. Use the simple rubric below to evaluate the thesis. On a scale from one (no thesis) to five (exceptionally well-written and organized).
4. Explain why you have selected the rating. For example, why do you believe the statement is exceptionally well written and organized?
5. Post the author’s thesis statement, your rating, and your explanation and the link to the article or essay.

3 pages Running head, number page, abstract, introduction conclusion references…originality verification check

 

Law enforcement did not always have the tools for gathering all information needed to prepare a case. Throughout time, laws have been made to secure the rights of criminal investigators to obtain the material needed to substantiate the evidence used in court cases.

• Have the development of new laws made the responsibilities of the criminal investigator change over time?
• Discuss 1 law and how it had an effect upon crime scene investigators.
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style

Resources: Review Ch. 1-2 of Oxford History of Art: Twentieth-Century American Art, the Week One Electronic Reserve Readings, and your Video Reflections

 

 

 

Write a 350- to 700-word paper on how art reflects the culture of its era that responds to the following:

 

•What image of America was communicated by the innovations and buildings presented at the 1883 Chicago’s World Fair? How was this image communicated?

 

•How and why was the art produced by the Ashcan School different from that of the Gilded Age? To what changes in culture were artists reacting?

 

•What is the relationship between art and culture? Explain with at least two examples to illustrate the relationship between art and American culture.

 

 

 

Although inequalities in income and education underlie many health disparities, the poor are sometimes held responsible for their health status. For instance, Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, a Harvard University professor and social epidemiologist, reports that the ability to avoid negative health behaviors like smoking and eating unhealthy foods depends on access to “income, education, and the social determinants of health.” On the basis of your knowledge of the health of the poor, answer the following questions:

• Should the poor be held responsible for their health disparities? Why or why not?
• What are some common stereotypes of the poor? How do these stereotypes contribute to the poor being held responsible for their health status?
• What conditions in your community promote or hinder healthy choices?
• In addition to the above, consider the input that research on women has lagged behind research on men. Many health treatments that address health risks for women are based on research conducted on men. With reference to your understanding of the healthcare system, mention the factors that determine whether the health treatments based on research on men will be successful with women.

SOURCES MUST BE CITED WITHIN THE WORK AND APA REFERENCE IS REQUIRED AS WELL

lobal Warming: A Major Concern

According to World Health Organization (WHO), global warming is the primary issues for concern. Noise pollution, overcrowding, traffic jams are some factors that have led to this problem. Lack of privacy is another factor in the modern times that is impacting people in ways that haven’t been examined yet. We also see a wide variance in weather patterns, such as severe hurricanes and drought conditions in the U.S.

Source: World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.). Climate change. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/climate/en/

Based on your understanding of the topic, create a report in a Microsoft Word document answering the following questions:

• Examine one weather condition over the past two years in the U.S. which drastically affected the population. How can the community better prepare their families for such severe conditions?
• Do you agree with the statement that countries should be held accountable for their contribution to climate change? Why or why not?
• List some of the issues that might occur as the world’s population increases? Factor in water, food, and hazardous waste into your comments. Suggest ideas to address or avoid these issues.

According to the CDC website, violence is attributed for approximately fifty thousand deaths each year and results in over 2.5 million injuries. Homicide and suicide are the second and third leading causes of death, respectively, among US population aged fifteen to thirty four years.

Hospital emergency departments treat an average of fifty five people for injuries every minute. The worst after effect of the sudden population explosion across the globe is the rise in violence.

• How have violent injuries affected a community? What steps have communities taken to decrease overall violent crimes?
• What steps can the federal or state governments take to help support communities affected from random or consistent violent acts?
• What can parents do in their homes to help educate children about risks and preventative accidents to help keep them safe? What role should parents take to reduce family violence?
• How can health promotion and wellness programs play a significant role to reduce individual or gang violence?
• How can schools and work environments increase safety measures against violent individuals or gangs entering their establishments?
• What roles should parents, neighbors, friends, health care personnel, and the community take when they observe someone who may exhibit unusual behavior or comments to help prevent potential violence? What agencies or resources are available to help communities cope and help their members seek help or assistance?