Capstone Project on "Schneck Medical Center: The Baldrige"

Capstone Project 10 pages (3190 words) Sources: 7

[EXCERPT] . . . .

For this reason, they cannot disclose any information that could end up jeopardizing the privacy of patients. Ensuring that patient information is safe is not an easy task. But what exactly is information privacy from a health care services perspective? Privacy in the words of Lyer, Levin, and Shea (2006), is "the right of individuals to determine when, who and to what extent information is transmitted about themselves." In the final analysis therefore, information privacy with regard to the protection of patient information should be seen as all those measures taken by health care institutions to protect the medical information of patients from disclosure to third parties. Information to be protected in this case may therefore include but is not limited to lab results, progress reports, treatment notes, diagnoses, etc. Some of the new developments that have in the recent past created new challenges on this front include but they are not limited to internet health services, electronic health records, etc. Coupled with government regulations, these developments present information security teams and compliance departments with a raft of unique challenges.

Increasingly, healthcare organizations are embracing electronic health records (EHRs) in an attempt to improve information exchange and enhance efficiency. In basic terms, electronic health records are computerized medical records. They are usually contrasted to paper files that were in popular usage several years ago. In addition to being a source of great inconvenience, paper-based records also led to significant time wastage as access to them was largely manual. For the most part, they were also largely insecure. Access controls in this case were not as effective as they could easily be compromised.

Although their relevance cannot be overstated, EHRs have presented new challenges as far as the privacy of patient information is concerned (Lyer, Levin, and Shea, 2006). It is important to note that to enhance their accessibility and availability, such records must not only be searchable but also linkable. In that regard, were people of dubious character to gain access to such information, a lot of damage could be caused. Some features of EHRs such as the copy and paste function could also be used to compromise the integrity of data. A progress report could for instance be "cloned" easily using this feature. EHRs (unlike paper-based records) also present a real risk of hacking or manipulation of information.

Keeping information secure during transmission is yet another concern for health care organizations. A recent survey according to Greene (2012) "found out that 73% of physicians text other physicians about work." According to the author, no form of communication is without risk. Suck information could be intercepted, shared and/or misused. For this reason, keeping the information transmitted during the said exchange secure could be regarded a major challenge when it comes to protecting patient information. Health care organizations should in an attempt to minimize chances of interception provide physicians with mobile devices that are encrypted to ensure that patient information remains confidential. Further, from time to time, health care organizations could be required to share patient information with their other centers located elsewhere. The means of transmission should in this case be secure enough to guarantee the safety of the information being transmitted.

Yet another challenge that health care organizations could encounter in their handling of medical information is the enhancement of proper handling of the same by employees including but not limited to physicians, nurses, and IT personnel. It must not be lost on us that from time to time; physicians and other medical personnel can gain access to patient information for administrative, payment, or even treatment purposes. Health care organizations must therefore put measures in place to ensure that whenever physicians and other medical personnel gain access to the said information, they handle the same appropriately and as per the laid down guidelines. Controls should also be put in place to make sure that only authorized individuals have access to patient information. In so doing, a health care organization could make use of biometric identification mechanism such as fingerprint readers, iris scans, etc. Where passwords are used, they must be changed regularly (Lyer, Levin, and Shea, 2006).

Although controlling access to patient information is important, it cannot guarantee complete protection. In the final analysis therefore, there exists a need to embrace additional measures of protecting patient information. The said additional measures could include but they are not in any way limited to training employees on the need to protect patient information (Lyer, Levin, and Shea, 2006). A health care organization should also have in place a clear privacy policy. To protect the integrity of their systems and hence the privacy of patient information, health care providers must also take decisive steps aimed at securing not only the underlying IT infrastructure but also access to clinical applications. The steps taken in this case must be efficient enough to secure patient information from identity thieves, hackers, and even insiders not authorized to interact with such information. The need to monitor the measures in place so as to ensure that they comply with government regulations cannot also be overstated. The only time health information about a patient should be released to third parties is when the said release is permitted by the client or when the law prescribes or demands the release of such information.

Lessons Learnt with Regard to Effective Communication

To succeed in any career, an individual must be an effective communicator. This is more so the case in the health care industry where constant interaction with patients and other health care professionals is a norm rather than a rarity. Indeed, effective communication comes in handy in not only the sharing of information but also in persuasion and management of conflict.

To begin with, one of the lessons I have learnt is that clarity is of utmost importance when it comes to effective communication. When the message being put across is not clear, effective communication cannot be said to have taken place. In such a case, the receiver may either get the wrong meaning of the message or fail to derive any meaning at all from the message. One of the most common ways of enhancing clarity is through the utilization of simple words when the message being put across is presented either verbally or in writing. Clarity must also extend to the mind of the sender. It would be difficult for an individual to put across a message clearly if the said individual is not clear in his or her mind what exactly he or she wishes to put across. The utilization of technical terms must also be minimized. In conflict management and negotiation undertakings, clarity is of utmost importance.

Secondly, I have learnt that in regard to effective communication, one must always keep in mind the aim or goal of communication. Should one forget the aim or goal of the said communication, the message being put across would be rendered meaningless and/or useless. For instance, if the goal of putting across a certain message during negotiations is to soften the stand of the individuals with whom one is negotiating, the individual charged with the presentation of this message must not veer off from that goal. Otherwise, the purpose of the said communication may not be achieved.

Precision is also of utmost importance in the presentation of a given message. It is important to note that during presentation, one could be tempted to beyond that which was intended to be put across. In such a case, the audience could end up being overburdened with information to the point of losing the actual meaning of the original message. Repetition also has the same effect as lack of precision. For this reason, repetition should also be avoided as much as possible.

Audience analysis is also of great importance. As a matter of fact, it is the type of audience and the situation that should be used determine the style to be used in the expression of the message. For instance, the approach used to present a message to a formal audience is not the same approach that would be appropriate in the presentation of the same message to an informal audience. In that regard therefore, the one presenting the message must vary or adjust his or her tone, pitch as well as intensity appropriately. The relevance of developing effective listening skills cannot also be overstated.

An Alternative HSA Policy and Practice

Were I to develop an alternative HSA policy and practice, I would focus on three key areas of excellence. These include customer/patient focus, enhanced performance across all levels and lastly, managerial competence. Below is a brief summary of a model HSA policy and practice.

With regard to patient focus, the aim will be to ensure that patients access the best service from the time they walk into the facility to the time they exit. Quality in this case will be measured in terms of safety, efficiency,… READ MORE

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