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Canyon College

online Health Care Information Systems course at Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Health Care Information Systems


Course Title: HS532 - Health Care Information Systems
Department: Health Sciences
Instructor: Dr. Deryl Gulliford - E-Mail | Personal E-Mail |  Vita
Phone (Office): (580) 574-6831
Phone (Home): (405) 379-6294
Pager: (877) 724-5711, PIN 5539
Address: Box 253, Seiling, OK 73663


COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This introductory course explores the role of the health care administrator in relation to information technology in the health care setting, and how computers enhance health care practice. This course includes analysis of components of computers and networks; and development, enhancement, and selection of health care information system(s). Management and uses of medical databases for health care administrators will be covered. Further topics will include the process of transforming data into usable information, personnel and training issues, understanding the roles of Information Service Department, Telemedicine, and the Internet/WEB.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: REQUIRED TEXT:    Online Bookstore
Informatics for Healthcare Professionals, by Kathleen Young. F.A. Davis, 2000. ISBN: 0803606192

SUPPLEMENTAL:
Students are encouraged to access supplemental material from health care literature including texts, journal articles, and the Internet. See the Web page for Health Care Informatics Online at: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com

Return to this site weekly throughout this course and use information and articles from this site in your written assignments.

ASSIGNMENTS:
Each week there will be a reading assignment followed by a written assignment. Read the chapters carefully, highlight important points, then review the materials before doing the written assignment. The reading assignment includes everything in the chapters including chapter objectives, figures, tables, figures, boxes, etc. The written assignment for week 4 will be the midterm examination and the written assignment for week 8 will be the final examination. The midterm and final examinations will be available in plenty of time. If it is not please contact the instructor and have it made available.

All written assignments must have the following information at the top left: SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS
The course week begins on Monday and ends on Sunday at Midnight. Assignments are due SUNDAY before midnight (in your time zone). All assignments that are late will have a grade score penalty at the discretion of the instructor. If you have a special situation and need an extension, you must contact the instructor prior to the due date via email explaining the problem and specify exactly when the assignment will be forthcoming.

Assignments may be submitted in WordPerfect, MS Word, or plain text. If you will be using another wordprocessor please contact the instructor to see if it is compatible with his wordprocessor. If it is not compatible, the instructor may ask you to convert the document to plain text.

If a student does not participate in the chat area and/or is late with assignments without contacting the instructor they will be administratively withdrawn from the course.

RESEARCH PAPER:
This course requires a research paper on a subject related to this course that is of particular interest to you. This must be a new learning experience. The paper should focus on how your particular professional area (medical records, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, radiology, nursing, etc.) interfaces with information management.

The topic must be approved by the instructor before you begin (by the 4th week and earlier is encouraged). The paper must demonstrate academic quality. Paper must be of sufficient length (8-10 pages) and depth to cover the topic. Paper should be APA writing style but another style may be used if carried out consistently throughout the paper. Paper should have a minimum of 10 references. References should be less than 5 years old unless they are considered classics in their field. Paper should have 1" margins, be double spaced, with a 12 font. Research paper is due by the last day of class but earlier is encouraged. This should be an interesting and fun quest for knowledge.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
Most of the written assignment comes directly from the Learning Exercises at the end of the chapter. Some questions come from individual essay questions and discussion of a Web site. If you have any questions about the written assignment please let me know ASAP.

Week 1:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 1, 2
Written Assignment:
  1. Pre-Course Assignment – Prior to the beginning of the semester or within 2 days into the semester you must post a pre-course assignment (introduction). This should include your name, address, phone number (day and evening), e-mail address, fax number if you have it, and any specific directions for contacting you if I have to. Normally all communication will take place by e-mail and in the chat area but in case of emergency I may need to contact you. If you can not be contacted at a certain place (like work) please do not list this number and make a notation that you can’t receive calls during a particular part of the day. The pre-course assignment should also include your biography. This can include your present job, reason for enrolling in this degree program, family, and anything else you would like to share, however what you put in your biography is complete up to you.
  1. See the Web page for Health Care Informatics Online at: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com

    Write a one - two page paper describing the benefits of this site to you as you complete this course and also to practicing health care professionals. Return to this site weekly throughout this course and use information and articles from this site in your written assignments.
  1. Write a one - two page paper describing your vision of the use of technology in health care in 5 years and in 10 years. Be creative.
  1. Interview a health care professional and write a one - two page summary of how they use technology and envision its use in the future. This person should be in another discipline from yours.
  1. Discuss how technology has changed and will continue to change the learning available to health care professionals and staff.
  1. How will technology have an effect on patient education and wellness promotion?
  1. Discuss whether technology isolates people or brings them together. How does technology effect you personally?
  1. Search the Internet for information on informatics or information management as related to health care management. Prepare a 1-2 page summary of your findings including URLs you visited.
  1. Based on your readings and your experience prepare a 1-2 page summary of the components of informatics as you see them being applied to health care.
Week 2:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 3, 4
Written Assignment:
  1. Examine the information resources available at a clinical facility and assess both computerized and hard copy resources (the facility where you work is fine). Prepare a 1-2 page report on your findings. What suggestions would you offer for improvement?
  1. Visit the Web site for the Center for Evidence Based Medicine and prepare a one - page report on why evidenced based medicine can be a valuable component of the health care delivery system. Prepare a 1-2 page report on your findings. http://cebm.jr2.ox.ac.uk/
  1. Search the Internet for information databases that you could use to obtain professional information. Prepare a one page report on your findings, including URLs you visited. Which did you find gave you the best information? Which was easiest to use?
  1. Discuss biomedical issues that must be considered for people of various ages and for those with disabilities in the design of medical devices. Give examples of devices that are effective and ones that could be improved. Prepare a 1-2 page report on your findings.
  1. Based on your readings and your experience in the health care field discuss types and causes of human error with regard to information, and give suggestions for reducing errors. Prepare a 1-2 page report on your findings.
  1. Discuss how findings of human factor psychologists can be used to design devices for effective use in the health care field. Prepare a 1 page report on your findings.
Week 3:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 5, 6
Written Assignment:
  1. Based on your readings and experience prepare a one page summary on the benefits or barriers of a unified data archiving or medical record language in the health care profession.
  1. Based on your experience and readings identify the advantages and disadvantages of an automated record system. Prepare a 1 page report on your findings.
  1. Discuss the obstacles that you see to a paperless medical record. Prepare a 1-2 page report on your findings.
Week 4: Topic for research paper must be approved by the instructor by this week.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 7
Written Assignment: Mid-Term Examination. Includes Chapters 1 - 7

Week 5:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 8, 9
Written Assignment:
  1. Discuss the stages of unfreezing, moving, and refreezing pertaining to implementation or acceptance of technology, such as electronic medical records (or another example of your choice). Relate these stages to an actual (or simulated) situation in a health care organization. Paper should be 1-2 pages.
  1. Based on your reading and experience, discuss the role of culture within an actual (or simulated) health care organization, in information systems implementation. Paper should be 1-2 pages.
  1. Based on your reading and experience, discuss various roles for health care administrators during times of change pertaining to technology. Prepare a 1 page report on your findings.
  1. Based on your reading and experience, discuss the following questions pertaining to technology and informatics in the health care setting. Paper should be 1-2 pages.
  1. Why is analysis the most important step and what happens if this step is neglected?
  2. Are all the components of the systems cycle necessary for every type of implementation (for instance an ICU monitoring system)?
  3. What is the role of each discipline during the systems cycle?
  4. How do different types of implementation affect different disciplines?
Week 6:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 10, 11
Written Assignment:
  1. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of uses of technology in managed care or integrated delivery systems. Prepare a 1 page report.
  1. Based on your reading and experience, discuss the role of information in managing health care and the role of health care professionals in managing health care. Prepare a 1 page report on your findings.
  1. Discuss the development of computers and the common tools and applications associated with electronic communications. Which are the most useful for health care professionals? Prepare a 1-2 page report on your findings.
  1. Base this assignment on the text and article, “A Helpful Guide to Web Search Engines.” http://www.monash.com/spidap4.html

    Prepare a 1-2 page paper summarizing the principles of searching the WWW. Was it helpful? In what way?
Week 7:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 12, 13
Written Assignment: (answer questions below in essay format)
  1. Discuss the types of telecommunications that could be valuable in health care delivery today and identify the equipment and technology used to support telecommunications. Prepare a 1 page report on your findings.
  1. Describe the various available applications of telehealth as well as advantages and obstacles to telehealth, including any legal issues that you may have found in your research. Prepare a 1-2 page report on your findings.
  1. Discuss three broad categories of research conducted in health care settings involving data bases, data archiving, or data retrieval. Prepare a 1 page report on your findings.
  1. Search the Internet for databases that support research in health care. Prepare a 1-2 page summary of your findings, including URLs you visited. Which sites will you use in your future role, and why?
  1. Based on your reading and experience, discuss the ethical issues related to health care research pertaining to access to information and publishing of information retrieved from databases. Prepare a 1 page report on your findings.
Week 8: Research paper due this week
Reading Assignment: Chapter 14
Written Assignment: Final Examination. Includes Chapters 8 - 14

GRADING:
Written assignments, research paper, mid term examination, and final examination will be graded based on:
Average of the weekly assignments 25%
Research Paper 25%
Mid Term Examination 25%
Final Examination 25%

A letter grade will be assigned at the conclusion of the 8 week semester based on the above criteria. The scale is based on 100 points as follows:

A = 90% - 100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
D = 60 - 69%
F = Below 60%

“F” is for unsatisfactory work.

“D” indicates inferior work which in one or more respects falls below minimum acceptable standards but is of sufficient quality and quantity to count for credit.

“C” means the assignment was satisfactory, that is what one would expect from a college student. It is an average grade for students who give a reasonable amount of time, effort, and attention.

“B” is an above average grade for general achievement of a high order. The student has intelligently fulfilled the requirements of the course and has achieved a degree of excellence such as completeness, accuracy of knowledge, independence of work, creativity, and critical thought.

“A” is an exceptional grade reserved for excellent students indicating distinctly superior work who have thoroughly mastered the subject, displayed marked initiative and intellectual curiosity, and produced work of a superior quality.

You can not receive an A or B unless you truly earn it.

COMMUNICATION:
You are expected to visit the chat area of the Canyon College Web site 2-3 times weekly. More often is encouraged. At this time you will receive any updates that are applicable to your course. You will also post a weekly update of your progress. This includes what was covered in the text and what you learned in the readings that can be applied to a health care setting.

When you contact me by e-mail your subject line must always be CANYON COLLEGE first followed by your name. For instance, my subject line would be:

CANYON COLLEGE - Gulliford, Deryl

I will be checking my e-mail at least 3 times/week. If you do not understand anything get in contact with me right away. Do not wait!!! Do not wait till week 8 to say that you do not understand something concerning week 4.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Academic integrity is highly valued at Canyon College. You are expected to complete all assignments by yourself using the text and other academic sources. If you use any outside sources, other than the assigned text, you must clearly cite sources using APA format or end notes. Whatever format you use must be carried out consistently. You are not to share any of your work with other students or potential students.

COMPRESSED TIME
The courses offered at Canyon College are in a compressed time format. Courses are 8 weeks instead of the usual 15-18 weeks. This means that what is generally completed over a 15-18 week period is compressed into 8 weeks. This has advantages as well as disadvantages. The advantage is that a student can take one course each compressed semester and actually complete 6 courses in a years time. If a student took one course each traditional semester they could only complete 2-3 courses in a year. The disadvantage is that the work spread out over a 15-18 week semester is accomplished in 8 weeks. Sometimes students take one of these courses as a quick fill-in thinking that they will not have a lot of work -- then feel overwhelmed with all the work that is actually involved. I am just trying to make everyone aware that students are expected to do what is generally required in any 3 credit course.

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