System Analysis
This week, you will conduct system analysis. System analysis is a process of collecting, organizing, and evaluating data about the information systems and the environment in which the system operates. For this section, you need to answer the following questions:
What is the current system for your fictional healthcare organization?
What problems do you have with the current system? Where do its weaknesses lie?
What changes will the implementation of a new system yield, and how will they impact the working of the organization?
Would you like to extend the existing system or replace it?
What is your phase-out plan for the existing system?
To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Sample Paper
The Current System in RWL Family Healthcare Clinic
RWL Family Healthcare Clinic relies on a paper-based record system that entails recording the health care information of the patient through the use of physical means such as papers and storing the health information in physical storage where it can be easily retrieved. The paper-based health records have been used as a reminder to healthcare providers to report events as well as communicate among the healthcare providers. Being a small healthcare organization, paper records have been used to store the medical history of patients since they are the most familiar format.
Limitations of the Paper-Based Record System
The weakness of the paper-based record system lies in poor accessibility, loss, and inconsistencies of the manual medical records. One of the greatest challenges with manual medical records has been the ease of access to medical records. For instance, during care provision, only one person can use the medical chart. Staff requiring access to the medical records have to wait until it’s available for use. Relatively, this has led to updating challenges and misplacement of records.
The paper files have been vulnerable to tamper, raising loss and security risks of patient data. Loss of patient data has been on the rise due to easy access to paper files and inconsistent layouts. Once the physical files are lost, it’s impossible to recover. The paper-based systems have been time-consuming and error-prone since they require one to conduct the manual written process, which has a high degree of error and is time-consuming (Akhu‐Zaheya et al., 2019). For instance, when searching for a patient’s file, the lack of format and layout in the physical files has led to inconsistencies and lack of patient data. Duplicate patient testing has also increased to replace the missing or lost test results. Repeating the process may be harmful to the patient with an opportunity to create an adverse medical event. The electronic health record system will also save time due to the easy accessibility of patient data. Additionally, the new system will offer better security to sensitive and confidential patient records. Certain users will be given varying accessibility levels of the patient data to ensure that the digital files are safe.
Implementation of the New System
The electronic health record system is a digital version of the paper with a real-time patient-centered record that makes health information readily available and secure to healthcare providers and authorized users. The electronic health record system is built to go beyond the clinical data offered in the healthcare provider’s office to general health information that offers a broader view during patient care (Kutney-Lee et al., 2021). Relying on the electronic health record means that the healthcare facility will not require physical storage. The electronic health record will allow consistent formats of patients’ medical records, which will enable the healthcare providers to better manage the patient care and offer better healthcare through relying on up-to-date, accurate, and complete information about the patient.
The new system will be more valuable than paper records since they will allow the providers to easily track the patient data allow easy access to more different computer devices. This will increase the productivity of care providers and reduce the disruption of workflows. Replacing the current system would be more effective since it will allow a systematized collection of health data in a digital format.
Phase-out Plan
Migrating paper-based health records to electronic health record systems requires careful planning. The phase-out plan will include outlining the processes and tasks which need to be executed, educating the staff members about the new health record system, redesigning the workflows, moving the patients’ data to the electronic health record, and HER testing.
References
Akhu‐Zaheya, L., Al‐Maaitah, R., & Bany Hani, S. (2018). Quality of nursing documentation: Paper‐based health records versus electronic‐based health records. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(3-4), e578-e589.
Kutney-Lee, A., Brooks Carthon, M., Sloane, D. M., Bowles, K. H., McHugh, M. D., & Aiken, L. H. (2021). Electronic health record usability: associations with nurse and patient outcomes in hospitals. Medical Care, 59(7), 625-631.
