2 Reps
Reply to this student post, no less than 400 words, with 2 related references in APA format.
Technology
Technologically, we are advancing. Some see this trend and decide to move their families “off the grid” referring to a return to a pioneer-style simplicity. Many believe the government has become too involved in watching the citizenry and choose to live with less technology. Despite these opinions, there are many who see the advances in technology as positive steps. Some of these include enhanced capabilities for early detection of disease. Medical students in Germany want to use a Smartphone application for diagnoses and treatment; sharing medical files; communication and networking; and additional training (Sandholzer, Deutsch, Frese, & Winter, 2016). If we are addicted to smartphones, we should get every possible use from them. Video conversations take place over patient’s files. Instead of waiting for an e-mail, a doctor in Kansas calls someone in Maryland, gives them access to the file and they have a conversation in minutes. Mentors could chart the progress of a mentee to see if they did all the lab work for a patient with certain symptoms. It builds in another layer of protection for a patient.
One of the greatest concerns is for security. Understandably, when you have a patient’s information on a computer system, you have a risk of an invasion of privacy. One of the most abominable practices is the use of ‘ransom-ware’. It is a program that takes the facilities computer systems hostage until a certain amount of money is paid. This could include basic electrical systems to patient records. A hospital in California was shut down for 10 days until they paid a re-negotiated rate of $17,000 (Chinthapalli, 2017). According to the article, the best thing you can do is back up all your information daily if not more frequently on tape-drives.
If you think about it, personal information such as social security numbers, birth dates, addresses and insurance cards are available all in one place. If someone wanted to sell a person’s identity, they would have everything they needed. The writer in me sees criminals looking through lab tests to see if someone matches their former partner who turned on them and is now in witness protection. I hear a forensic scientist voice in my head saying, “There’s an algorithm for that.” The people who work in the hospital need to be aware of the rules regarding e-mails and security measures already in place. The IT department needs to have upgraded equipment which costs money. They also need to have opportunities to learn. The third defining element of a progressive health care organization states, “What we did yesterday might be good enough for today, but we constantly have to learn anew and face the challenge of being better tomorrow” (Pynes & Lombardi, 2011). The good guys can be just as smart as the bad guys. Managers need to make sure they are hiring the right people.
Another aspect of technological advancement is the need for people to fix the expensive machines when they break down. Say a patient needs a fMRI. Those images could be shared with a neuropsychiatrist with experience in temporal lobe trauma (for example) and a diagnosis and treatment could be devised in hours. The problem is, the new fMRI chip is too hot because the cooling fan isn’t working. Biomedical engineers work on these things. If they are now interfaced with a computer, another technical layer is added to their repair concerns. Everyone needs to learn the new system and equipment specific to their job. Training costs money. It may lead to greater efficiency, but it is something that is inevitable for the ‘better tomorrow’ we all want to be a part of. Hopefully, we are part of the 20% Superstars that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” Colossians 3:23 (NIV).
References
Chinthapalli, K. (2017). The hackers holding hospitals to ransom. British Medical Journal, 1.
Pynes, J., & Lombardi, D. (2011). Human Resources Management for Health Care Organization: A Strategic Approach. San Franscisco: Jossey-Bass.
Sandholzer, M., Deutsch, T., Frese, T., & Winter, A. (2016). Medical students attitudes and wIshes towards extending an educational general practice app to be suitable for practice: A cross-sectional survey from Leipzig Germany. The European Journal of General Practice, 141-146.