NUR250 Nursing Health Care Proof Reading Services

Introduction

Health improvements are important for personal as well as social development as healthy population lives longer with greater amount of productivity and savings, hence, involving in the economic development (Cresswell and Sheikh 2013). This development of healthcare system is due to the involvement of several new technologies, that has created the scope for more development and healthcare improvement in this sector (Nazi 2013). Using Information and Communication Technology in healthcare is one such technology using which the scope of healthcare related services has increased and patient and universalization of healthcare interventions has increased. Sri Lanka, being a developing country has several problems such as infrastructural, economic and management related issues that affect the proper distribution and holistic development of this sector (Shortliffe and Cimino 2013). These difficulties and barriers primarily affecting the successful implementation and conduction of ICT or eHealth systems in the facilities (Cresswell and Sheikh 2013).

The primary aim of this second phase assignment is to provide a detailed analysis of the implementation, designing and development of the Information and Communication Technology using several theories and lessons that can justify the adoption of the chosen technology. Further in this context, the strategies using which the barriers and problems identified in the scenario will be overcome and usage of different policies and practices while managing this situation will be discussed in the scenario.

Background

It has been seen from the previous trends in the healthcare sector of Sri Lanka that information and communication technology is one of the fastest growing sectors that has spread its utilization from public and private organizations to the healthcare sector where it holds a major amount of importance as using this in healthcare helps the people by creating a record of people receiving healthcare and keeping other records safely so that while receiving care from any other healthcare facilities around the world they can access their information properly without any hesitation (Wildevuur and Simonse 2015). This adaptation of eHealth or information and communication technology in Sri Lanka has created a wave in the healthcare sector and has also created several policies and guidelines using which, the healthcare sectors can uniformly use these facilities for the improvement of the healthcare sector (Lwin 2014). This guideline is names as the National eHealth Guidelines and Standards which aims to provide the population of the country with developed future ICT with compliance to the guidelines and improved service (Keengwe and Bhargava, 2014). These standards focuses mainly on the six aspects of healthcare facility proper development of eHealth architecture, ICT governance, Network and connectivity, communication interface, confidentiality and security and finally on the data communication related standard because these aspects are most crucial and in maximum cases works as a barrier to successful implementation of information and communication technology in healthcare sector of Sri Lanka (Qureshi 2013). However, there are situations, due to which successful implementation and conduction of ICT n Sri Lankan healthcare sector is affected. This factors can be the lack of knowledge and training in the workforce, lack of available infrastructure and lack of proper economic or financial support to make the entire healthcare facility come under one roof of information and communication technology in healthcare facility. This assignment therefore, targets to design and implement strategies to make the successful adoption of eHealth in healthcare facilities of the country (Keengwe and Bhargava, 2014).

Aims

The primary aim of this section will be to determine the processes and strategies using which barriers present in the successful implementation of these ICTs in healthcare facilities could be removed and then successful implementation of these healthcare technologies could be achieved. Secondary aim of this assignment will be implementing the SWOT theory to determine the barriers and enhancers while implementation of eHealth technologies in healthcare sector of Sri Lanka. Further, to understand the barriers and replacing them with the enhancers will be one of the important aim of this assignment.

Methodology

The healthcare system of Sri Lanka is much more developed than many countries in the region and serves its citizen with the help of its developed healthcare strategies despite the presence of flaws and loopholes in the implementation specialist care and advanced procedures (Antheunis, Tates and Nieboer 2013). These gaps identified, are the reason for several healthcare related issues such as medication error, improper drug delivery, irrelevant medication administration and most patient documents due to which healthcare facilities do not identify patient’s allergic or resistant medication related data, thereby affecting the healthcare system (Khalifa 2013). In this situation, eHealth or information and communication technology can be emerged as one of the major help for the healthcare facilities in Sri Lanka. Being a developing nation, there are several shortcomings in the healthcare and related communication system and using information and communication technology in this filed helps the system to be upgraded and developed (Sheng et al. 2013).

Despite the fact that Sri Lanka is the fastest growing information and communication technology utilizing nation, communication is still is one of the major concerns for the healthcare facilities around the country. Communication between patients, and healthcare professionals is still an issue due to which healthcare care facilities are unable to take care of their patient’s holistic development (Ajami and Bagheri-Tadi 2013). Therefore, using communication related information technology will help the patients to be connected to their healthcare professionals u8sing technologies such as emails, telecommunication methods as well as telecare and telemedicine facilities (Chib, van Velthoven and Car 2015). Besides these, it should be noticed that there are healthcare facilities where electricity is still an issue, hence implementation of information and communication technology should be properly monitored. Moreover, communication technology also helps to connect diagnostic, educational, counselling and support related aspects to provide a holistic care to the patients (Schickedanz et al. 2013).

The second aspect that is identified is the loophole in the management system. There are several interior healthcare facilities where people are not aware or familiar with the usage of information and communication technology (Arnold and Boggs 2015). This creates a major issue in the management of healthcare facilities as using papers for management related issues creates issues for management personnel in the facility (Ajami and Bagheri-Tadi 2013). Therefore, implementation of computer bases systems should be implemented in those healthcare facilities so that management of healthcare facility related functions such as acquiring, storing, transmitting and patient administrative and clinical activities could be managed by using the information and communication technology. Further, using this system will help the facilities to store the patient information properly (Button, Harrington and Bela 2014).

The third aspect or shortcoming of the Sri Lankan healthcare system and management facilities is the information system. As Schickedanz et al. (2013) mentioned that due to presence of educational deficiency and persisting ignorance about the development in few sections of the society, people are not aware of the information system. Therefore, it should be mentioned that internet technology is one of the major helps that the healthcare facilities could receive from the system (Antheunis, Tates and Nieboer 2013). Information technology helps the healthcare facilities by providing recent evidence-based interventions and lifestyle related information using which healthcare facilities can help the patients with their diet, healthcare intervention and lifestyle related decisions. There are several examples of such facilities that are being used in the healthcare facilities around the world such as e-healthcare portal, web-based resources and which are used for the application of information for healthcare decisions of people (Kreuter et al. 2013). The final issue which was identified from the healthcare system of Sri Lanka was lack of decision making and evidence-based approach for healthcare interventions. In this scenario, they should use the computerized decision support system which aims to provide complete support to the healthcare professionals by providing them with ethical and code of conduct related suggestion and artificial intelligence related suggestions for interventions (Button, Harrington and Bela 2014). This will help the healthcare professional to decide the type of intervention and degree of it should be applied in different patient situation and provide them with evidence-based healthcare intervention (Cresswell and Sheikh 2013).

However, there are few barriers present in the roadmap to achieve or completely implement healthcare information and communication technology in the system (Kreuter et al. 2013). This is visible in most of the underdeveloped countries as due to these barriers they are unable to implement the healthcare information technology in their system and therefore they fail in reshaping and improving the healthcare system in their countries (Khalifa 2013).

The first barrier which should be discussed in this system is the infrastructure related barriers. As Sri Lankan information system is still developing, they lack several hardware, software and systematic information regarding the healthcare information system. However, without these components, it is very difficult to create a stable healthcare communication and information system (Kreuter et al. 2013). Further, presence of string and developed healthcare information system helps to create development in the healthcare system or to improve the existing system for the development of the entire facility (Antheunis, Tates and Nieboer 2013). The second barrier which could affect the achievement related to successful implementation of healthcare facility in the healthcare facility is the less availability or provision of the healthcare informatics related software of personnel who can help in the successful implementation of the technology in the system. besides, the system and software used in such facilities are costly due to which majority of the healthcare system in the rural areas are unable to take part in the implementation of this system in the facility (Arnold and Boggs 2015). The third barrier could be the lack of professionals having sound knowledge management system of the system and the poor internet availability throughout the country. This is an issue because there are regions in the country where people are not aware of the educational benefits and hence are not able to determine the requirement of healthcare benefit in the system.

However, there are several facilitators also present 8n the country and its society so that they can implement this system for the benefit of the country and its healthcare facility (Arnold and Boggs 2015). To determine this SWOT analysis of the present situatrio0n of the healthcare facility in Sri Lanka should be determined as it will help to put up a clear picture about the healthcare information system in the society (Antheunis, Tates and Nieboer 2013).

SWOT analysis

1. Strength: the strength of the healthcare informatics in the country is the availability and the environment for successful information and communicatio0n system. People are understanding its importance and education sector is also creating facilities is that students can learn about this system in their course (Silver 2015).

2. Weakness: the weakness on the other hand could be the low GDP, and persistent poverty in the country due to which rural areas are not being able to utilize this system in their facility and creating a major concern for the overall pi9ctruree of healthcare information system in the society (Arnold and Boggs 2015).

3. Opportunities: despite of the weakness, as the country is developing and accepting facts related to its development, its creating a positive environment for the development in the society. Further, due to the countries positive name in the information and communication technology related development and enhancements, the governments are also providing them worth chance so that they can implement such facilities in the society (Schickedanz et al. 2013).

4. Threats: the threat in this case could be the persisting poverty, educational loopholes, ignorance towards development and absence of professionals related to the system in the society that prevent the facilities to accept such factors in the system (Kreuter et al. 2013).

Results and analysis

The previous section discussed about the loopholes and barriers and determined the strengths and opportunities the healthcare informatics system has in the Sri Lankan society (Keller and Heiko 2014). The facilities should therefore implement several theories and practices using which the healthcare informatics could be properly incorporated in the system. These theories are related to benefits and opportunities of the healthcare informatics system however in actual practices researchers have pointed towards several concerns that can also affect the authenticity and efficacy of the healthcare service and interventions (Gillespie 2014). Therefore, the government and authorities should be aware of the system and its limitations and benefits so that maximum improvement and help could be obtained from this system.

Further, it is the duty of the Sri Lankan government to implement the policies and regulations related to healthcare informatics strongly and loudly in the system. The government has created laws and regulations about healthcare informatics however due to the unavailability of proper infrastructure and timeline, implementation of this system cannot be validated by the government (Kreuter et al. 2013). Hence, it is the primary role of the government to determine the provisions using which all the healthcare facilities could be made such that they can implement the healthcare information system in the healthcare facility without any major concern. Further, the healthcare facilities should also implement their own strategies and policies to maintain and manage their healthcare facility (Schickedanz et al. 2013). This will be done by providing the healthcare professionals with required training band educational sessions so that they can understand the usage and facilities of the healthcare informatics and can help the healthcare facility to successfully implement and conduct the informatics system for the benefit of the patients and the facility (Silver 2015). Besides these, it is the responsibility of the all the stake holders such as patients, society, software development companies, governments and the healthcare facilities with professionals to implement this system in the society as with this they will be able to completely transform the healthcare system and determine the improvements to achieve the target for the Sri Lankan healthcare sector (Gillespie 2014).

Conclusion

Healthcare informatics is the system using which healthcare sectors can receive advantages. This information and communication technology provide the feasibility related to patient centered healthcare system, improvement in the quality of care, as well as provide health education to the patients as well as the healthcare professionals. However, in Sri Lanka there are situations due to which such system is not applied in the entire healthcare system and hence, the entire healthcare system is unable to witness the reform and improvement it should witness to provide its citizen with world class quality healthcare facility. In this assignment, a clear aim was provided so that while carrying out the assessment the focus of the assignment was known. Besides that, a complete discussion of the barriers and loopholes that prevent healthcare information system to wide spread in the country. Further a SWOT analysis of the situation was also carried out to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the system. And finally a detailed analysis was put up to determine the roles and responsibilities of each of the stake holder to implement healthcare information system and communication technology properly in the healthcare facilities of the country Sri Lanka.

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