The following case is based on a real world scenario and presents some

QUESTION

The following case is based on a real world scenario and presents some of the challenges inherent to Business Information Systems.

Answer the questions providing your unique perspective and making use of the concepts you learned throughout the modules learning activities (lectures, coursework and computer lab sessions). There is no single correct answer but not all answers are correct. You must justify and explain your answer with sound arguments which highlight your understanding of the technical and social aspects of the topics.

Hospitals and health workers have long recognized the importance of good information. A knowledge of diagnoses made by doctors in the past, and a record of treatments that were given to patients along with the outcomes, all help to create the most promising treatment  plans for future patients. Information on the geography of health problems also helps to create a national strategy that can be used to make health-related decisions and plan responses to disease outbreaks. The data may even be used to predict and prevent those outbreaks.

Singapores Health Information Systems Task Force (HISTF) is a not-for-profit non-governmental organization that aims to empower healthcare workers and decision makers to improve the coverage, quality and efficiency of health services through the use of open standards and data exchange mechanisms. They subscribe to an open source philosophy, freely sharing their training materials and software solutions. Their staff members include nine software developersand ten database administrators who create web-based and mobile solutions. This use of web standards means that their software will run on most operating systems and on most devices, which means there will be few, if any, access problems. One of their main systems, called HealthMax20, is used to collect a range of data. This includes case-based data from in-patient admissions, essentially recording the who, what, when and where of patients being seen. Data is also stored on disease outbreaks and responses. New mothers and young children are seen as being particularly vulnerable, and so data is stored to improve their care. The results of lab tests and information on stocks of drugs and other treatments in hospitals are also recorded, as is data on patient deaths. The system includes a variety of ways to view all of this including charts and graphs.

Geographic features that allow users to view maps of hospitals and to visualize the catchment areas for each are also available. All of this is seen through a clear, easy to navigate, information dashboard. One important but previously often overlooked feature that is included in HealthMax20 is social networking. In other words, HealthMax20 allows for communication between users. This often encourages knowledge sharing and means that health professionalsdo not have to work in isolation. Patients too are realizing the importance of sharing their data. For instance, in a case unrelated to HISTF, Singaporean members of Health4Us recently contributed to an online survey of drug use which gave health professionals vital information. Health4Us is a web-based community of patients who compare the treatments they receive, and discuss their symptoms and experiences.

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